Meng Wanzhou extradition hearings end, verdict expected in months

OTTAWA - Canada's British Columbia Supreme Court concluded the hearings of Chinese Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou's extradition case Wednesday afternoon, with a final decision expected to come later in October.

The ruling on the extradition now rests with the court's Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes, who reserved her decision on Wednesday and adjourned proceedings until Oct 21 this year, adding that she would not have a verdict at that point.

Wednesday afternoon after the hearing ended, Huawei Canada made a statement on Twitter, saying "in Ms. Meng's defense, counsel raised four branches of abuse of process: political motivation, unlawful detention, material omissions and misstatements, and violations of customary international law."

"From the start, Huawei has been confident in Ms. Meng's innocence," said the statement, adding that Huawei "has been supporting Ms. Meng's pursuit of justice and freedom."

Meng, who did nothing in violation of Canadian laws, was arbitrarily detained on Dec 1, 2018 at Vancouver International Airport at the request of the United States.

China urges the Canadian government to immediately correct its mistakes and release Meng, so that she can return to China safely at an early date.