Italy Extradites Xu Zewei to US Over Hacking and Stolen Covid-19 Research

Italy has decided to extradite a Chinese man wanted by the United States on hacking charges that include stealing Covid-19 medical research, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter who spoke to Reuters.

“ROME, ITALY – April 26, 2026 — Brussels Morning Newspaper – Digital security global policy is now at the forefront of international headlines as Italy considers extraditing a suspected Chinese hacker to the United States”

Brussels Morning

Reuters reports that the decision follows an Italian court ruling earlier this month that said Xu Zewei could be extradited, and that a representative for Italy’s government declined to comment.

Brussels Morning

Xu’s lawyer, Enrico Giarda, told Reuters that his client had not received any communications on the matter so far, and after his arrest Giarda said Xu had been a victim of mistaken identity.

The US Justice Department alleges that Xu stole crucial Covid-19 research at the behest of the Chinese government in 2020 and 2021, and that he was hacking and stealing the research “at the behest of the Chinese government.”

Bloomberg, as cited by RBC-Ukraine and the Straits Times, similarly says Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government made the decision after an Italian court ruled earlier this month that Xu Zewei could be extradited.

RBC-Ukraine adds that in 2025 the man was arrested in Italy at Washington’s request, and that Bloomberg says the extradition could help ease tensions between the US and Italy.

Multiple outlets describe the US allegations as centered on cyberattacks and theft of Covid-19 research, with specific time windows and targets.

Reuters says the US Justice Department alleges Xu has been hacking and stealing crucial Covid-19 research “at the behest of the Chinese government” in 2020 and 2021, and that the hacking charges include stealing Covid-19 medical research.

Il Giorno

The Straits Times, citing Reuters, adds that the DOJ alleges Xu was part of a team of cyber experts who in 2020 targeted US-based universities, immunologists, and virologists conducting research into COVID-19 vaccines, treatment, and testing, and that in 2021 Xu was part of a cyber-espionage group known as Hafnium that infiltrated thousands of computers worldwide, including in the US.

Vijesti.me, also citing Reuters, says Hu was arrested in Milan on July 3 at the request of US authorities and that the US charges include wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for alleged cyber piracy between February 2020 and June 2021.

Il Giorno, describing a Milan Court of Appeal decision, says the Court of Appeal declared “the existence of the conditions for the granting of the extradition request” and describes the FBI investigation as saying the man would have been part of a hacker team that obtained information including on Covid-19 therapies and vaccines in 2020.

Il Giorno also frames the defense’s position as Xu always declaring himself innocent and the victim of mistaken identity, while the defense argued the US charged him with a political crime in an “international espionage context” between China and the United States.

Xu’s legal position, as reported across outlets, emphasizes lack of official communication and mistaken identity, while the reporting also places him in Italian detention.

“Italy extradites Chinese national to US over major hacking attacks - Bloomberg The Italian government has decided to extradite a Chinese citizen wanted by the US on charges of carrying out cyberattacks, reports Bloomberg”

RBC-Ukraine

Reuters reports that Xu’s lawyer Enrico Giarda told Reuters that his client had not received any communications on the matter so far, and that following his arrest Giarda said his client had been a victim of mistaken identity.

The Straits Times similarly says Xu’s lawyer told Reuters that his client had not received any communications on the matter so far, and that following his arrest Xu’s lawyer said his client was a victim of mistaken identity.

RBC-Ukraine adds that Xu’s lawyer in Milan stated that he had not received an official government ruling regarding the request for his client's extradition, and that to his knowledge Xu was still being held in a nearby prison in Parma as of Friday.

The Ukrainian National News outlet says Xu’s lawyer in Milan stated that he has not yet received the official government extradition decree and noted that his client is currently being held in a prison near Pavia.

Il Giorno provides a different procedural timeline, saying the Court of Appeal of Milan “today” declared the existence of the conditions for extradition, and that Xu is the “33-year-old Chinese engineer arrested on July 3, 2025 by the police at Malpensa on a US warrant.”

Beyond the court and law-enforcement steps, RBC-Ukraine and the Ukrainian National News outlet connect the extradition to broader strains between Italy and the United States, and to Italy’s balancing with China.

RBC-Ukraine says Bloomberg notes that the extradition could help ease tensions between the US and Italy, and it also describes tensions between Giorgia Meloni and US President Donald Trump “against the backdrop of the Italian Prime Minister's growing distance from the war with Iran and her defense of Pope Leo XIV, whom the US leader called weak in fighting crime.”

South China Morning Post

RBC-Ukraine further says that “Trump-Meloni conflict” included Meloni criticizing Trump for “his unacceptable remarks about the Pope,” and that she responded to another criticism by saying “courage lies in telling friends the truth and in acting in one's own country's and Europe's interests.”

The Ukrainian National News outlet says relations between Meloni and President Donald Trump have become strained due to differing positions on the war with Iran and other political disagreements, and it says Meloni has pursued a “complex balancing act between Beijing and Washington.”

It also states that this balancing has been “particularly regarding public procurement and strategic Italian companies.”

Il Giorno, meanwhile, frames the defense’s argument as the US charging Xu with a political crime in an “international espionage context” between China and the United States, and it quotes the defense’s claim that “for political crimes extradition is not possible.”

The reporting also lays out what comes next procedurally and how the case could affect future cooperation on cybercrime.

“MILAN - The Italian government has decided to extradite a Chinese man wanted by the US authorities on hacking charges that include stealing COVID-19 medical research, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters”

The Straits Times

Il Giorno says that “the final word will lie with the Ministry of Justice,” and that lawyers Enrico Giarda and Simona Candido will appeal the sentence filed that day, so there will first be a ruling by the Court of Cassation.

The Straits Times

It also says the judges Barbara, Tallarida and Caramellino wrote a “twenty-page order,” and that they explained the alleged espionage conduct cannot be recognized as having a “certainly political” valence.

In parallel, Brussels Morning describes the legal pathway as tied to extradition agreements and says Italy’s legal system will review the case based on established treaties and judicial standards, while noting that “Italy’s courts are expected to review the extradition request in detail before issuing a final decision.”

Brussels Morning also quotes a “senior official familiar with the matter” saying: “This case represents a turning point in how nations approach digital threats and enforce accountability globally.”

Across the Reuters-based accounts, Italy’s government spokesman declined to comment on the allegations, and a representative for Italy’s government declined to comment on the extradition decision, leaving the process to courts and ministries.