Cheers erupt in Canadian courtroom as judge frees Huawei’s Sabrina Meng Wanzhou on US$7.5m bail
- The ruling came after friends of Sabrina Meng Wanzhou offered Vancouver homes worth millions of dollars as bail collateral
- Husband Liu Xiaozong pumped his fist in victory as Meng wiped away tears in the packed courtroom
Applause erupted in a Canadian courtroom when a Vancouver judge ordered that Huawei Technologies chief financial officer Sabrina Meng Wanzhou be released on C$10 million (US$7.5 million) bail.
Mr Justice William Ehrcke on Tuesday ordered that Meng wear a GPS ankle bracelet, submit to the 24-hour supervision of a private security firm, and surrender her two Hong Kong and Chinese passports. She will live in a Vancouver home she owns with husband Liu Xiaozong that is worth C$5.6 million (US$4.2 million).
Meng finally walked free from the court building at 8pm, wearing a red down jacket, and was whisked away by her new security detail in a Cadillac Escalade.
The ruling was the culmination of a marathon three-day bail hearing for Meng, who had been imprisoned since her arrest at Vancouver International Airport on December 1, at the request of the United States, which is seeking her extradition on fraud charges related to alleged breaches of US and EU sanctions on Iran. The case has prompted a furious reaction from China and state media, describing her treatment as “vile” and warning of “grave consequences” unless she was released.
Hundreds of supporters of Meng and Huawei from the Chinese community had attended the hearing on Monday and Tuesday, with some outside protesting for her release.
Ehrcke told the British Columbia Supreme Court that bail would be set at C$10 million, including a cash deposit of C$7 million (US$5.2 million) from Meng and her husband, and C$3 million (US$2.2 million) pledged by local friends who put up a mix of cash and home equity. The judge was scathing about parts of the US case against Meng, calling them “entirely speculative”.