Canadian ex-UN official detained in Switzerland for espionage

By Merve Berker

A North Korea expert and former UN official from Canada has been detained in Switzerland for several months under espionage suspicions, a joint investigation by media outlets of North Korea, Germany, and Switzerland revealed on Thursday.

Craig, a former UN official and North Korean expert, whose full name is being withheld by the NK News as he has not been convicted and no charges have been made public, could not be contacted since March 13.

A joint investigation by the North Korean NK News, German media outlet Der Spiegel, and Swiss Tamedia revealed that he was in Swiss custody.

The media outlets pointed out an exchange of envelope between Craig and a Chinese military intelligence agent posing as a diplomat, allegedly providing the Chinese side with cash for information about North Korean diplomats.

After the Chinese agent left the country, Swiss authorities focused more on Craig.

The Swiss Attorney General’s office opened an investigation on March 14, 2023, and put Craig in pretrial detention.

Ralph Weber, an expert at the University of Basel, told the NK News that the incident was uncommon for Swiss authorities.

Around 50 Canadians were arrested by Switzerland on suspicions of spying, likely for China, following investigations dating back to 2021, the NK News mentioned.

The Swiss prosecutor’s office declined to comment out of confidentiality, and Craig’s lawyer and the Chinese and North Korean embassies in Geneva did not respond at all, according to the NK News.

Craig’s detention remains without charges, and it is unclear if Swiss prosecutors will proceed, the media outlets noted, adding that if convicted, he could face up to three years in prison for espionage.