Canadian Intern Accused of Spying Inside NATO Stands in Closed Belgian Courtroom Today as Ottawa Faces Questions About the Screening That Cleared Her

OTTAWA — A Canadian woman linked to China stands today in a secret pre-trial court in Brussels, where a judge will weigh whether to keep her in custody on suspicion of spying inside the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) military command for a country prosecutors will not name, and of belonging to a criminal organization they will not describe.

Belgium’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office has said only that she is a Canadian national of Chinese origin, an intern at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Mons, arrested Friday.

The Federal Prosecutor’s Office, responding to detailed questions from The Bureau, said the appearance comes five days after the arrest warrant was issued, and that the pre-trial chamber will decide whether her detention should be maintained.

What is not routine is how she reached a desk inside allied command.

By standard Canadian security procedures, she would have been vetted by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) before being hired at NATO. Asked by The Bureau how that screening is conducted, and whether the woman had previously held a Canadian government position or clearance, CSIS referred the questions to Public Safety Canada, which said it was not in a position to comment on specifics while the matter remains under investigation.