The Evangelical
Fellowship of Canada has thanked Justin Trudeau after he secured the release
from China of Canadian missionary Kevin Garrett. After two years in detention
on suspicion of espionage, Garrett was released last week, shortly after
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau made his first official visit to China. Along
with his wife Julia, Garrett was arrested in 2014 in Dandong, a city on the
border with North Korea. The couple had run a Christian coffee shop there since
2008 and have lived in China for 30 years providing humanitarian aid. Although
Julia was released on bail in February 2015, Kevin was held in detention after
a Xinhua report claimed there was evidence he had accepted tasks from
"Canadian espionage agencies to gather intelligence in China". His
son Simeon denied either of his parents had been involved in spying. Garrett
arrived back at Vancouver International Airport on Thursday and was greeted by
his family. Bruce Clemenger, president of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada,
praised Trudeau and government departments that had "assiduously worked
together" to secure the release. "We are grateful for your
persistence in securing Mr. Garratt's freedom, and your defence of the core
Canadian principle of freedom of religion," he said in a letter on
Tuesday.He added he was proud of the Garrett's "dedication, humanitarian
compassion and uncommon sacrifice on foreign soil. As Christians, we are
inspired by their steadfast dedication to their faith under such difficult
circumstances." James Zimmerman, a Beijing-based lawyer who acted for the
Garretts, also thanked Trudeau's government, according to a report in Christian
Today. "The family appreciates the strong, persistent efforts of the
Canadian government to secure Kevin's release," Zimmerman said. In a
statement the Garrett family thanked those involved in the release and everyone
for their thoughts and prayers. They also asked for "respect for their
privacy in this time of transition."