China on Thursday dismissed Canada’s protests of harsh sentences handed down by Chinese courts to Canadians whose cases are seen as linked to the arrest in Vancouver of a top executive at Chinese tech giant Huawei.

The Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in Canada accused Ottawa of making unwarranted, groundless accusations that “grossly interfered in China’s judicial sovereignty.” “Such accusations are extremely unreasonable, extremely absurd and extremely arrogant, over which we express our great indignation and strongest condemnation,” their statements said.

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday called the sentencing of entrepreneur Michael Spavor “absolutely unacceptable and unjust.” Trudeau cited a “lack of transparency in the legal process, and a trial that did not satisfy even the minimum standards required by international law.”

“For Mr. Spavor, as well as for Michael Kovrig who has also been arbitrarily detained, our top priority remains to secure their immediate release. We will continue working around the clock to bring them home as soon as possible.”

Spavor and former diplomat Kovrig were detained soon after Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou was arrested Dec. 1, 2018, at the request of the U.S., where she faces charges related to possible violations of trade sanctions on Iran.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry denied Spavor and Kovrig were arbitrarily detained and said their rights were “fully protected.” Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying accused Canada of using “megaphone diplomacy,” to rally its allies to pressure China.

“The Chinese side urges the Canadian side to clearly grasp the current situation, earnestly respect China’s judicial sovereignty, stop applying double standards on legal issues, and stop slandering and attacking China so as to avoid bringing further damage to China-Canada relations,” the statement from the Chinese Embassy in Canada said.

Spavor was sentenced Wednesday to 11 years in prison on national security charges by a court in Dandong, near the North Korean border.  Canada and other countries face trade boycotts and other Chinese pressure in disputes with Beijing over human rights, the coronavirus and control of the South China Sea.

(With AP inputs)