Ottawa, December 11, 2020

Yesterday, on the second anniversary of the arrest and imprisonment of Michael
Kovrig and Michael Spavor, both Canadian citizens, the President of the Canadian
Ambassadors Alumni Association – AMBCANADA – (formerly known as the
Retired Heads of Mission Association – RHOMA), Ms. Abbie Dann, sent an urgent
communication to the over 300 members of the Association.

In her email she urged members of AMBCANADA to join in the international
campaign of sending personal messages of support to the “Two Michaels”, led in
Canada by Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian Ambassador to China, and
Charles Burton of the MacDonald-Laurier Institute. Members were encouraged to
send holiday greeting cards under cover of a letter to the Ambassador of China to
Canada asking that he forward the cards immediately to Michael Kovrig and
Michael Spavor through his channels. Members were also advised they could
send greetings directly to the two Michaels in their respective prisons.

“This is a humanitarian gesture to show the two Michaels that a large group of
former Canadian Ambassadors, many of whom know Michael Kovrig as a
colleague, are thinking of them BOTH and wishing them strength and resilience
during the holiday season, and every day they remain in detention“ stated
President Dann.

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For further information please contact Lillian Thomsen of AMBCANADA at lillianthomsenottawa@gmail.com