A court in Canada has ruled that the extradition trial of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou can go ahead, CBC reports. The British Colombia Supreme Court judge found the crime she is accused of in the US could be considered a crime also in Canada, meaning the American request for extradition must be heard.
The 48-year-old CFO and daughter of Huawei's founder Ren Zhengfei is charged with fraud in the US for allegedly deceiving banks into a possible violation of US economic sanctions against Iran. She has been under house arrest in Canada since December 2018 when she was arrested there at the US's request.
The judge said that the essence of Meng's alleged crime is fraud. While Canada doesn't have the same economic sanctions against Iran as the US, this wouldn't stop someone being prosecuted in Canada for the same fraud offence.
Meng has denied the allegations against her. A statement from Huawei said the company was "disappointed" in the court ruling and that her lawyers will continue to push for her freedom.
The ruling does not necessarily mean that Meng will be extradited to the US. The judge still has to hold hearings to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to warrant extradition, and Meng has also claimed that her rights were violated at the time of her arrest. Canada's minister of justice will also have a chance to weigh in on whether a decision to commit Meng for extradition would be contrary to Canadian values.
