Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou Opposes Public Broadcast of Her Extradition Hearings in Canada

Lawyers for Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou are opposing the public broadcast of her extradition proceedings in Canada.

According to Bloomberg, Meng and her team are opposed to televising the hearings due to fear that it will make it easier for President Trump to weigh in and potentially harm her case.

Bloomberg reported that Meng’s team said in a court submission that televising the hearings “amplifies the risk that the President of the United States will once again intervene in the Respondent’s case, or harbour resentments, that are both threatening and intimidating.”

Daniel Coles, the opposition lawyer, said the extraordinary level of public interest generated by the arrest of the Huawei chief financial officer at Vancouver international airport almost a year ago is proof of the need to broadcast the proceedings.

Coles said politicians in both the U.S. and Canada have weighed in on the case, Canadian pork and canola farmers have felt the sting of chilly relations with China and two Canadians have been arrested and charged with spying — allegedly “paying a price” for Canada’s decision to carry out the American arrest warrant.

The case affects many Canadians outside of Vancouver, Coles said — and “they can’t [all] come to this courtroom.”



At the request of the United States, Meng, the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested on December 1, 2018, at Vancouver International Airport. In the U.S. she has been charged with fraud, over a complicated dealing that allegedly led banks into violating sanctions with Iran.

In court documents released Thursday, Meng’s legal team says the alleged misrepresentation does not amount to fraud and the transactions processed by HSBC were not illegal in Canada.

The defense says the case is really about the United States seeking to enforce its Iranian sanctions laws against Meng for conduct that took place outside both the United States and Canada.

P.S. - Like our news? Support the site with a coffee/beer. Or shop with our Amazon link. We use affiliate links when possible--thank you for supporting independent media.