Huawei's CFO, Meng Wanzhou, has initiated legal action against the Canadian government, border agency, and federal police, alleging violations of her constitutional rights during a three-hour detention in December 2018. The lawsuit claims Canadian authorities unlawfully detained, searched, and interrogated her at Vancouver International Airport before executing an arrest warrant.
Meng was arrested on December 1, 2018, at the request of the United States, which accuses her and Huawei of violating Iranian sanctions through bank and wire fraud. Her legal team argues that Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers delayed the warrant execution and conducted unauthorized searches of her luggage and electronic devices, breaching privacy protections under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The civil suit filed in British Columbia Supreme Court states CBSA officers searched Meng's belongings without proper authority, claiming the searches were disguised as routine customs checks. It also alleges officers compelled her to surrender passwords and devices, then reviewed their contents without legal justification. The RCMP executed the arrest warrant three hours after the initial detention, according to the lawsuit.
China has criticized Canada's handling of the case, demanding Meng's release as relations between the two nations deteriorate. The Canadian government approved extradition proceedings in March 2019, with Meng due in court for an extradition hearing later that month. No immediate response was received from Canadian authorities regarding the allegations.
