Michael Kovrig says convicted RCMP leaker Cameron Ortis shouldn't 'rot in a prison cell'

Michael Kovrig, one or two Canadians detained in China for almost three years, has called on a judge to avoid imposing a lengthy prison sentence on a former RCMP intelligence official found guilty of leaking secrets.

In a letter of support filed with the court and shared with journalists, Kovrig describes himself as a former acquaintance of Cameron Ortis, whose sentencing hearing took place Thursday in Ottawa.

Ortis was found guilty of six charges last November, including four counts of violating Canada's secrets act. Last fall, Crown prosecutors successfully argued that Ortis used his position within the RCMP — leading a unit that had access to Canadian and allied intelligence — to leak sensitive information to police targets in early 2015.

On Thursday morning, theCrown argued Ortis should serve 28 years behind bars, minus time served.

The defence argued Ortis faced hardships during the three years he spent in custody waiting for the start of the trial and shouldn't serve more time.

In a Dec. 9 letter, Kovrig, a former diplomat, wrote that while he was surprised by the court case, he is only weighing in on the issue of sentencing.

«Having spent over 1,000 days in solitary confinement and then a Chinese detention centre, I can attest with passion how viscerally awful confinement of any kind is for any human being. I don't think that anyone who hasn't experienced long-term confinement can truly appreciate the excruciating toll it takes on a person,» he wrote.

«The mental awfulness is even more acute for an individual such as Cameron, blessed as he is with high intelligence and a curious mind — someone used to doing relevant, impactful, intellectually demanding work.»

Kovrig urged the judge to think «creatively» as he considers a