Huawei executive’s extradition hearing begins in Canada

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada (AA) – Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei’s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou was in the spotlight again Monday as her extradition hearing began in a Vancouver courtroom.

Meng was arrested at Vancouver airport in December 2018 at the behest of the U.S., who wants her extradited there to face fraud charges linked to the alleged violation of Washington’s sanctions against Iran.

For her to be extradited, a court must find that her alleged misconduct would constitute a crime in Canada in what is called ‘double criminality’.

But her defence argued that her alleged crime would not be considered one in Canada because it does not have the same sanctions against Iran as the U.S., so the charges would have no validity in Canada.

“In the end, we are being asked to impose on Canada an obligation to assist the U.S. in the enforcement of its sanctions – sanctions that we have expressly rejected,” argued Meng’s lawyer David Peck.

He said it was U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to implement sanctions against Iran, but Canada rejected those sanctions.

“What it (the sanctions) resulted in was a decision by the United States to criminalize conduct that Canada and most of the other countries, if not all, permit,” Peck argued.

The government argued that it has an extradition treaty with the U.S. and therefore had to act on the U.S. request to arrest Meng.

The arrest unleashed a maelstrom of protest by China, where officials demanded her immediate release. That was quickly followed by retribution as two Canadians were charged with spying, another had a life sentence converted to a death sentence and the import of Canadian agricultural products was banned.

Following her detention, Meng was released by a court on CAN$10 million bail, ordered not to leave the country, placed under what amounted to house arrest and was forced to wear an ankle bracelet so authorities could monitor her movements. She is allowed to travel in an area around her home, but only when she is accompanied by security guards.

Meng’s legal team has also argued that she was targeted by the U.S. because of its trade war with China.

That defence was bolstered by Trump, who said shortly after her arrest that he would intervene if it would result in a trade deal with China.

The hearing continues Tuesday.