Huawei CFO's extradition would let US criminalize behavior in Canada, say lawyers
0Reported today on The Guardian Technology
For the full article visit: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jan/21/meng-wanzhou-huawei-cfo-extradition-hearing
Huawei CFO's extradition would let US criminalize behavior in Canada, say lawyers
Meng Wanzhou's lawyers argue that US accusations would not be considered a crime in Canada, where she was arrested in 2018
Lawyers for a Chinese telecoms executive arrested in Vancouver have argued that her extradition to the US would allow a foreign state to criminalize behavior in Canada.
Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei and eldest daughter of its founder, Ren Zhengfei, is wanted by US authorities for alleged fraud related to sanctions against Iran.
In the second day of a five-day extradition hearing in Vancouver, lawyers for Meng argued that the US accusations against her would not be considered a crime in Canada, where she was arrested in 2018.
"Canada doesn't enforce foreign criminal law," said Meng's lawyer Eric Gottardi. "We simply cannot import that law and have it operate in Canada domestically. It's contrary to our values."
The US alleges Meng lied to the bank HSBC about Huawei's relationship with its Iran-based affiliate Skycom, putting the bank at risk of violating US sanctions against Tehran.
On Monday, defense attorneys argued that the US was abusing its treaty with Canada by asking it to detain Meng for prosecution as part of a campaign that Ren, Huawei's chief executive, surmised aimed to crush China's largest international company.
They argued that Meng's misrepresentations, if they occurred, did not amount to fraud, and that Canada had repudiated the US sanctions against Iran.
"Would we be here in the absence of US sanctions? Our response is no," Richard Peck, the lead defense lawyer, told a packed courtroom.
The hearing is scheduled to last until Friday.
Meng's arrest during a stopover of a Hong Kong-to-Me