The Canadian government was unable to visit or help a Canadian couple arrested in China for suspected espionage, so their family was forced to hire a lawyer in Beijing, according to their son.

Chinese authorities detained Kevin and Julia Garratt, owners of a coffee shop on the Chinese-North Korean border, on August 4 for allegedly stealing state secrets and threatening the country's security. Their son Simeon Garratt, who is based in Vancouver, told Reuters that they will pressure the authorities to give them a legal visit.

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Simeon, 27, said his mother sent them one letter saying she was fine, but they did not receive any form of communication with his father. He said they were worried because Kevin has high blood pressure.

Last week, Peter said a Canadian representative was able to talk to his mom and dad for 30 minutes. His parents told the representative that both of them were safe.

Authorities told Simeon that he may write another letter to his mother so the representative is going back to Dandong with his brother Peter. He conveyed his hope that they would be allowed to exchange messages with their parents.

The Canadian couple owns the Peter's Coffee House in Dandong, a gateway to China's reclusive neighbor, North Korea. Their second son, Peter Garratt, also resides in China while their two daughters and Simeon live in Canada.

The Garratts have stayed in China for three decades. The investigation into the spying allegations started one week after Canada called out Chinese hackers for breaching an important computer network. Canada also filed a diplomatic complaint with Beijing.

Stealing state secrets is considered a serious crime in China and is punishable by a lifetime in jail or death in severe cases. Foreigners being charged with this crime are very rare in China.

There were some speculations that the Garratts were detained because of their Christian belief but their sons said they do not believe that was the case.

Simeon said his father formed a non-governmental human rights group that travel regularly to North Korea for aid missions. His mother, on the other hand, taught at a university and managed the coffee shop at the same time.

TagsNorth Korea, Kevin Garratt, Julia Dawn Garratt, Simeon Garratt, Peter Garratt, Dandong, Peter's Coffee House