Canada warns U.S. not to politicize extradition cases

OTTAWA, (Reuters) - Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland yesterday warned the United States not to politicize extradition cases, a day after President Donald Trump said he could intervene in the affair of a Chinese executive detained in Canada at Washington’s request.

Freeland also told reporters that a second Canadian citizen could be in trouble in China. Authorities in China are already holding former diplomat Michael Kovrig, who was detained on Monday.

Officials say China had so far not linked Kovrig’s detention to the arrest in Vancouver on Dec. 1 of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, which infuriated Beijing. But Canadian diplomatic experts have said they have no doubt the two cases are linked.

U.S. prosecutors accuse Meng of misleading multinational banks about Iranlinked transactions, putting the banks at risk of violating U.S. sanctions. She has said she is innocent.

Trump told Reuters on Tuesday he would intervene https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usatrump/trump-says-would-intervene-inarrest-of-chinese-executiveidUSKBN1OB01P in the U.S. Justice Department’s case against Meng if it would serve national security interests or help close a trade deal with China.

Freeland said it was obvious the legal process should not be hijacked for political purposes and that Meng’s lawyers would have the option of raising Trump’s remarks if they decided to fight extradition. “Our extradition partners should not seek to politicize the extradition process or use it for ends other than the pursuit of justice and following the rule of law,” she said when asked about Trump’s comments.

Her words mark another potentially difficult moment in ties between Canada and the United States, which were heavily strained during more than a year of talks to negotiate a new North American trade pact.