Political pawn or responsible as charged? Extradition trial of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou will get underway in Vancouver

A Canadian court docket is about to listen to a much-anticipated case on the centre of the tech and commerce warfare between the US and China, as Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou will struggle a US extradition request primarily based on fees her staff say haven’t any advantage.

Meng was arrested at Vancouver Worldwide Airport in December 2018 on the bidding of america, simply as tensions had been mounting between Washington and Beijing over commerce tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. US authorities accused her of defrauding monetary establishments and mendacity in an try to bypass US sanctions impeding different international locations’ skills to do enterprise with Iran.

The Huawei govt — who was pressured to give up her passports, abide by a curfew and put on a GPS tracker — has been dwelling below home arrest in Vancouver since she was launched on a $ 10-million bail. Formal hearings start on Monday and are anticipated to proceed till Thursday, although that is solely section one in what is predicted to be a protracted and drawn out extradition trial. With so many shifting elements to the case and potential for a number of appeals, it might nonetheless take months and even years for it to actually come to an finish.

Additionally on rt.com

Selections this week will hold on the Canadian legislation precept, essential for extradition, of ‘double criminality’. That basically means the crime the particular person is accused of by the nation requesting extradition should even be a criminal offense in Canada. 

Meng’s staff has argued that, because the sanctions she is accused of violating should not Canadian sanctions, the ‘double criminality’ customary doesn’t apply. The prosecution insists, nevertheless, that the case is primarily in regards to the alleged fraud, not sanctions. Meng has accused US and Canadian authorities of illegal detainment, searches and interrogations. If her attorneys can persuade the court docket that the usual for ‘double criminality’ just isn’t met, she could possibly be launched from home arrest.

Critics of Canada’s dealing with of the case — together with the daddy of jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange — have framed it as simply one other instance of the US abusing the authorized programs of overseas international locations to focus on their geopolitical enemies. 

Additionally on rt.com

Certainly, Meng’s case would appear to suit that profile. Whereas US authorities have framed her arrest and fees as being merely about Iran sanctions and fraud, to contemplate this case as purely about enterprise with Tehran can be to disregard the US authorities’s large strain marketing campaign towards Huawei itself, which has been enjoying out in tandem to the broader US-China tariff and commerce warfare. Washington has urged the remainder of the world to shun Huawei and its 5G know-how, which it claims is a risk to nationwide safety and will likely be used for spying — accusations China has denied.

Meng’s case additionally locations Canada in a difficult place. Whereas it is not going to need to irk its highly effective next-door neighbor, Ottawa may even be involved for Canadian residents who had been arrested in China on spy fees — seen by many as a tit-for-tat retaliation by Beijing following Meng’s detainment.

Learn extra

Canada is now confronted with two unappealing choices: anger China by caving to Washington’s calls for and extradite Meng over fees which look suspiciously political; or anger the US by conserving her in Canada and making an attempt to work out an trade cope with Beijing that may see its personal residents introduced residence.

A number of former Canadian authorities officers have come out in assist of the prisoner swap possibility in current weeks. In an article for the Globe and Mail, Eddie Goldenberg — a chief of employees to former PM Jean Chrétien — accused the US of portray Canada right into a nook. He argued that Trudeau’s authorities should perceive that China regards Meng as “a hostage that Canada is holding” for Donald Trump, and that Beijing won’t ever launch the Canadian prisoners until Meng is returned. Former deputy PM John Manley has additionally advocated a prisoner trade.

Including weight to the argument that Meng is getting used as a political pawn is the truth that Donald Trump himself publicly recommended he would intervene within the case if it helped him safe a great commerce cope with China.

Assume your mates would have an interest? Share this story!