Huawei CFO Meng sues Canada for unlawful detention

March 4 (UPI) -- On the same day Canada said it would allow for Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou to be extradited to the United States, her lawyers filed a lawsuit alleging that she was denied her rights during her arrest last December.

Canada decided Friday to allow the extradition of Meng to the United States, where she faces charges of bank fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice and sanctions violations.

That same day, Meng filed a civil claim against the government of Canada, its border services agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police alleging that she was unlawfully subjected to "a detention, search and interrogation to extract evidence from her before she was arrested and provided with her rights," according to the claim.

Meng was arrested at the request of the United States Dec. 1 during a brief stopover in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Her lawyers in the suit say that instead of being immediately arrested, she was interrogated "under the guise of a routine customs or immigration-related examination" to "compel her to provide evidence and information."

The suit, announced by her lawyers Sunday, says that Meng was only informed of her arrest three hours after her detention began.

She is suing for tort damages in relation to her detention, punitive damages and costs, according to the claim.


Canada has said that it is conducting a fair, unbiased and transparent legal proceeding.

Meng, who is out on bail and living in Vancouver, has said she is innocent, while China has said the charges against her are the product of political manipulation to hinder the Chinese business.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang on Saturday condemned Canada's move to forward Meng's extradition, calling it "a severe political incident."

"We once again urge the U.S. side to immediately withdraw the arrest warrant and extradition request for Ms. Meng Wanzhou and urge the Canadian side to immediately release Ms. Meng Wanzhou and ensure that she returns to China safe and sound," he said.

He said the move is an abuse of the bilateral extradition agreement between the United States and Canada, adding that her arrest was a "serious violation of the legal rights and interests of the Chinese citizen."

Meng's arrest has caused political turmoil between the two countries, with several prominent Canadian citizens detained in the Asian country.

Huawei is the world's largest telecommunications manufacturer with revenue of $92.55 billion in 2017.