Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou’s extradition hearing is set to begin on January 20th, but it could take months or even years before a decision is made.
Meng currently faces extradition to the U.S. The hearing will focus on whether U.S. allegations are also a crime in Canada. If the judge believes that they aren’t a crime in Canada, she would be free to leave the country but would have to avoid the U.S.
Since Meng’s arrest soured relations between China and Canada, the decision will be quite significant for the country.
Here’s a brief timeline of everything that has led up to Meng’s extradition hearing:
December 1st, 2018: Meng is arrested in Vancouver by Canadian authorities following a request from the U.S. on the suspicion that she violated U.S. trade sanctions against Iran.
December 10th, 2018: Two Canadians are detained in China, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the arrests are retaliation for Meng’s arrest.
December 11th, 2018: Meng is granted bail as she faces possible extradition to the United States, and is released on $10 million bail. She is ordered to wear an ankle bracelet, and must stay in one of her two homes in Vancouver.
December 12th, 2018: Following Meng’s arrest, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland says Canada-China relations are important to maintain.
January 28th, 2019: The United States announces that it has officially charged Huawei with 13 counts of bank and wire fraud.
March 1st, 2019: The Canadian government decides to proceed with its extradition hearing case against Meng.
March 3rd, 2019: Meng sues Canada Border Services Agency, the RCMP and the federal government for false imprisonment and breach of constitutional rights.
March 22nd, 2019: A British Columbia court grants Meng’s request for copies of the data seized from her during her arrest.
June 7th, 2019: Meng’s extradition hearing is officially set to take place in January 2020.
June 24th, 2019: Meng’s lawyers say it’s in Canada’s national interests to stop its extradition proceedings against Meng.
September 5th, 2019: Chinese ministry spokesperson, Geng Shuang, urges Canada to release Meng after Dominic Barton was appointed as the new Canadian ambassador to China.
October 1st, 2019: Lawyers for Canada’s attorney reveal that the CBSA mistakenly gave phone passcodes to the RCMP after Meng was arrested with her phones, laptop and tablet.
December 11th, 2019: The B.C. Supreme Court grants Meng’s legal team access to documents related to her arrest in Vancouver.
January 10th, 2019: Canadian prosecutors argue in a court filing that Meng’s case is about fraud, not sanctions. They say her conduct amounts to fraud under Canadian law, and that U.S. sanctions law shouldn’t be considered.
January 20th, 2020: Meng’s extradition hearing begins in British Columbia.
Although Meng’s extradition hearing will likely take several months, it’ll be significant because it has contributed to the hostility between China and Canada. It’s also significant because Canada has yet to decide whether Huawei will be allowed to participate in the deployment of 5G networks across the country.
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
