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Reuters
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Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou leaves for court on Wednesday
Lawyers for a senior Huawei executive say they intend to apply for a stay of proceedings in a high-profile extradition case. Meng Wanzhou, 47, was arrested in Canada in December at the request of the US. The US wants the tech executive extradited to stand trial on charges including fraud linked to the alleged violation of sanctions on Iran.The case has soured relations between China, Canada and the US. Ms Meng appeared on Wednesday in a Canadian court for a pre-extradition hearing, during which her lawyers argued that the case against her is flawed. They said her arrest was an abuse of process and that her rights were violated when she was detained late last year, and that US President Donald Trump’s “corrosive” comments were evidence that the case was politically motivated.The president has twice suggested he would intervene in the US Justice Department’s case against Ms Meng if it would serve national security interests or help achieve a trade deal with China.Both Huawei and Ms Meng have denied all the charges against them. Where are we in the extradition process? It is still the early stages in what will likely be a drawn out process with numerous chances for appeal. Some extradition cases have dragged on for years.In March, Canada said it will allow the US extradition case against Ms Meng to move forward, though a date has not yet been set for the extradition hearings. Ms Meng is also suing over her arrest. Her lawyers filed a civil claim against Canada’s government, border agency and police for “serious breaches” of her civil rights earlier this year.
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Why is the US seeking her extradition? US authorities filed almost two dozen charges against Huawei, the world’s second largest smartphone maker, and Ms Meng in January.The charges include bank fraud, obstruction of justice and theft of technology. Ms Meng was released on bail in mid-December in Vancouver, where she owns property, and is living under house arrest. How has China reacted? China has attacked Ms Meng’s arrest and the extradition process as a “political incident”. Canada says it is only following the rule of law in the case, but that has not satisfied Chinese officials. Two Canadians are believed to have been detained in retaliation for Ms Meng’s arrest.Ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor were both detained in China in mid-December on accusations of harming national security, and two other Canadians face death sentences following convictions on drug charges. There has also been economic pressure – China has halted Canadian canola imports and suspended the permits of two major pork producers amid the dispute.