Huawei executive suing Canada over alleged unlawful detention

An executive for Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei filed suit Sunday against the Canadian government and two of its law enforcement agencies, alleging she was unlawfully detained and interrogated late last year.

The Associated Press reported that lawyers for Meng Wanzhou filed a notice of a civil claim in the British Columbia Supreme Court on Sunday. The complaint alleges that authorities interrogated Meng “under the guise of routine customs” and waited to explain to her that she was under arrest.

{mosads}Lawyers for Meng claimed that the Canada Border Service Agency took the executive’s electronic devices and unlawfully viewed the contents. Meng was notified three hours after she was initially detained that she was under arrest, the lawsuit says.

In addition to the Canadian government, the suit names the border agency and the Canadian national police force.

“We are a country governed by the rule of law. Canada is conducting a fair, unbiased, and transparent legal proceeding with respect to the arrest of Ms. Meng Wanzhou,” a spokesperson for the office of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness said in a statement. The office declined to comment specifically on her lawsuit. 

The country’s border agency office declined to comment, citing ongoing legal matters.

Canadian authorities detained Meng, an executive with Huawei Technologies, in December. Meng’s arrest came at the request of the U.S., which alleged that Huawei violated U.S. trade sanctions against Iran.

The AP reported that Meng is out on bail, but is due in court on Wednesday to set a date to begin extradition proceedings.

Meng’s detention appeared to spark a diplomatic standoff between Canada and China. Within weeks of Meng’s arrest, China had detained two Canadian citizens on suspicion of “engaging in activities that endanger the national security” of China. A third Canadian was detained and later released.