OTTAWA GIVES GREEN LIGHT TO MENG WANZHOU EXTRADITION HEARING
Mar 01, 2019
By Bob Komsic
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The Trudeau government’s announced that an extradition hearing against, Meng Wanzhou, the executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei, can go ahead.
Ottawa had until midnight, three months after Meng’s arrest, to decide whether to approve the proceedings.
The U.S. wants Meng to stand trial on charges related to conspiring to violate international sanctions against Iran.
Her defence team says it’s disappointed with the decision, which is a formality and allows the B.C. Supreme Court to hear arguments Wednesday about whether to grant the American request.
Extradition cases can drag on for years.
In deciding Meng’s bail in December, the judge cited two such cases that stretched out for a decade or more.
While China’s repeatedly called for her released, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Ottawa cannot interfere.
Meanwhile, two Canadians in China, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, continue being held on national security grounds.