WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th March, 2019) Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou's attorney argued in a Vancouver court that her extradition case in Canada is politically motivated, citing remarks made by US President Donald Trump, media reported.
Richard Peck, Meng's attorney, said during a court hearing at the Supreme Court of British Columbia on Wednesday that Meng's case is politically motivated after Trump indicated he may use it as a means of leverage in the ongoing US-China trade negotiations, the Washington Post reported.
Meng's next hearing is scheduled for May 8, which is when the court will set a date for an extradition hearing in her case, the report said.
Meng, the daughter of Huawei's founder, was arrested in Vancouver last December at the United States' request, reportedly on suspicions of failing to comply with US sanctions against Iran. The arrest was decried by Beijing, which demanded that Canadian authorities immediately release the Chinese national.
Huawei has insisted Meng has done nothing illegal.
Notably, the company has recently been accused by the United States, as well as a number of other countries, of stealing commercial information. Washington also said it suspected Huawei of working for the government of China, the US adversary and the country which is engaged in a major trade spat with Washington. Huawei has dismissed claims about its cooperation with the authorities and pleaded not guilty to trade secret theft charges.
