"Huawei is disappointed in the ruling today by the Supreme Court of British Columbia, we have repeatedly expressed confidence in Ms. Meng's innocence," Huawei Canada said in a Wednesday statement posted on Twitter. "Huawei continues to stand with Ms. Meng in her pursuit for justice and freedom."
"We expect that Canada's judicial system will ultimately prove Ms. Meng's innocence. Ms. Meng's lawyers will continue to work tirelessly to see justice is served," the company said.
Huawei statement regarding Meng Wanzhou: pic.twitter.com/zvODmPhgIj
— Huawei Canada (@Huawei_Canada) May 27, 2020
Huawei's comments come after British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Heather Holmes ruled earlier on Wednesday that the allegations made against Meng by a US federal court would also be a crime in Canada - a decision that will allow the case for her extradition to the United States to continue.
Meng was arrested at the Vancouver International Airport in December 2018 after a US federal court filed charges against her accusing her of fraud. The allegations stem from Huawei affiliate Skycom's alleged business dealings in Iran, which the US says violated sanctions against that country, and Meng is specifically accused of defrauding the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) by misrepresenting the Chinese company's relationship with Skycom.
While the provincial supreme court has ruled against Meng, the Canadian federal justice minister can still refuse to extradite her to the US for trial.
In a statement later on Wednesday, the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa decried the court's decision, calling Canada an "accomplice" in the United States' plan to torpedo the success of Chinese tech companies.
Chinese embassy in Canada decries Meng Wanzhou ruling as violation of her lawful rights. Accuses Canada and United States of 'abusing their bilateral extradition treaty' and says Canada acting as US 'accomplice' to 'bring down Huawei and other Chinese high-tech companies.' pic.twitter.com/KPCJ4ThDD0
— CBC News Alerts (@CBCAlerts) May 27, 2020
"On 27 May, the British Columbia Supreme Court of Canada made a ruling on the so-called 'double criminality' issue in the case of Chinese citizen Meng Wanzhou. It concluded that the extradition request of the United states conforms with the principles concerning 'double criminality.' China hereby expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to this decision, and has made serious representations with Canada," the statement from the Chinese Embassy spokesperson reads.
"The United States and Canada, by abusing their bilateral extradition treaty and arbitrarily taking forceful measures against Ms. Meng Wanzhou, gravely, violated the lawful rights and interests of the said Chinese citizen," the statement continues. "The purpose of the United States is to bring down Huawei and other Chinese high-tech companies, and Canada has been acting in the process as an accomplice of the United states. The whole case is entirely a grave political incident."
