Meng Wanzhou: judge rejects media request to broadcast Huawei executive’s extradition hearing
- A consortium of media, including the South China Morning Post, had applied to have video cameras at next week’s hearing in Vancouver
- But a judge said a broadcast could affect impartiality of witnesses and jurors in a potential US trial
“Broadcasts would almost inevitably reach the community of the trial, given the high profile of this case in Canada and abroad, the political commentary relating to the case, and the sensationalised nature of some of the media coverage,” Justice Heather Holmes said in a ruling released late on Monday.
The formal case to determine whether to allow the US’ request to extradite Meng, Huawei’s chief financial officer – who was arrested in December 2018, on a flight stopover in Vancouver – will begin next Monday after months of preliminary hearings.
Meng is accused of defrauding HSBC by allegedly misleading it about Huawei’s relationship to a firm that was doing business in Iran, to reassure the bank that it was not in breach of US sanctions on Iran by doing business with the Chinese telecoms company.
Holmes said members of a consortium of media who had applied to film the proceedings had so far reported “responsibly and professionally” but would not be able to control how others used the footage once it appeared online.