Canada has agreed to a hearing of the US government's request for extradition of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. At the same time, Meng has filed a lawsuit against the Canadian state, alleging the authorities held and interrogated her before notifying her that she was under arrest.
Meng was arrested in British Columbia in Canada in December at the US's request. She was released under bail and reduced to house arrest since then, pending a full hearing of the US claim that she assisted Huawei in violating sanctions against Iran.
Hearing March 6
The Canadian justice department said it reviewed the evidence and found the claim should be heard in court. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 06 March at the British Columbia Supreme Court, where the crown prosecutor will lay out the evidence to proceed with the extradition. Meng will remain on bail conditions during the proceedings.
If the judge decides Meng should be committed for extradition, then the Minister of Justice has the final say in whether she is handed over to the US.
Serious political incident
Meanwhile, Politico reports that Meng filed a civil claim against the Canadian state, border agency and police, claiming they detained and questioned here before telling her she was under arrest. Government spokespeople declined to comment directly on the lawsuit.
Canada's extradition decision came despite mounting pressure from China, which has detained several Canadian citizens since Meng's arrest. A foreign ministry spokesperson questioned the credibility of the North American nation's government, according to Politico.
The ministry said in a statement that this was "a serious political incident. We again urge the US to rescind its request for the extradition of Ms Meng and call for Canada to release her immediately."
