A Chinese court sentenced Michael Spavor, a Canadian citizen and consultant on North Korean business issues, to 11 years in prison for spying, a charge that critics say is linked to a Beijing campaign to pressure Ottawa over its 2018 arrest of a Chinese business executive.

According to the ruling released on China’s Dandong Intermediate Court website, Spavor faces 11 years of imprisonment with deportation and a fine of RMB 50,000 (approximately $7,700).