Huawei CFO extradition case ends as court weighs up verdict

The US continues to seek the extradition of Meng

The extradition hearing of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Canada has ended after two and a half years of legal proceedings.

However a verdict for the case is not expected for another couple of months, with associate chief justice of the British Columbia Supreme Court Heather Holmes to decide Meng’s fate.

The case has caused a geopolitical struggle between China and Canada, with the US seeking the extradition of Meng, the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei.

It stems back to the arrest of Meng back in December 2018, when she was arrested in Vancouver. Meng has been under house arrest ever since.

She was detained for allegedly violating US sanctions against Iran, with the US insisting she’s extradited to New York to face these charges.

Her arrest has led to what many consider to be retaliation from China against Canada, with two Canadian citizens arrested and then charged on espionage-related crimes.

Huawei and Meng have denied any wrongdoing throughout the proceedings, with Meng accused of misleading bankers at HSBC around Huawei’s relationship with affiliate Skycom, with the US alleging this put the bank at risk of breaching US sanctions against Iran.

The next hearing is due to go ahead on October 21, with more clarity around a decision expected on this date.

In a statement today (August 19), Huawei Canada said: “From the start, Huawei has been confident in Ms. Meng’s innocence and has trusted the Canadian judicial system. Accordingly, Huawei has been supporting Ms. Meng’s pursuit of justice and freedom. We continue to do so today.”