Canada to resume hearings on extradition of Huawei exec
VANCOUVER: Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou faces a new round of extradition hearings starting Monday in Vancouver, as the twoyear anniversary of her arrest by Canadian authorities approaches.
Meng, chief financial officer of the Chinese tech giant, has been fighting extradition to the United States, where she faces fraud and conspiracy charges related to alleged violations by Huawei of US sanctions on Iran.
Her arrest in Vancouver on December 1, 2018 plunged Canada-China relations into crisis.
Days later, two Canadians were detained in China, accused by Beijing of espionage in what Ottawa has insisted was a retaliatory move.
China insists that Meng has violated no laws, and says the detention of the two Canadians was unrelated. The US and Canada have demanded their release.
Over the next two weeks in a court in Vancouver, Meng’s lawyers are scheduled to continue their cross-examination of law enforcement witnesses involved in her detention.
The first witness is expected to be Bryce McRae, a superintendent at the Canada Border Services Agency. He was involved in Meng’s detention at Vancouver airport.
Meng’s lawyers contend that Canada violated her rights when she was detained, searched and interrogated for hours.
Meng has argued, moreover, that US President Donald Trump “poisoned” her chances for a fair hearing by suggesting in 2018 that he might intervene in the case if doing so might help trade talks with China.
As the extradition hearings resume, Canada’s attorney general has been given a day on Dec 7 to argue that the court should block some evidence regarding Trump’s involvement.