A Canadian man who ran a cafe near China’s border with North Korea will be tried on charges of spying and stealing state secrets, prosecutors announced on Friday, nearly a year and a half after he and his wife were detained by the police, according to the New York Times.

The man, Kevin Garratt, will be tried in Dandong, a city in Liaoning Province, Xinhua, the official news agency, said on Thursday. It gave no date for the trial.

“During the investigation, Chinese authorities also found evidence that implicates Garratt in accepting tasks from Canadian espionage agencies to gather intelligence in China,” said Xinhua, citing prosecutors in Dandong.

The case adds another potential strain between Beijing and Western governments, which have expressed concern about the treatment of foreigners in China’s legal system.

Source: MENA