USA17 June, 20262 min read
US Judge Allows Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou’s Admissions in Trial Set for September 8
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US judge allows CFO Meng Wanzhou's Iran sanctions admissions to be used in Huawei trial. Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada on Iran sanctions charges.
Brooklyn Ruling on Admissions
A US judge ruled that statements made by Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou about the company’s illegal business activities in Iran can be used in an upcoming US trial against Huawei, with the trial set for September 8. The ruling was issued in Brooklyn federal court on Tuesday, and US District Judge Ann Donnelly said, "Meng was — and is still — Huawei Tech’s CFO," in a four-page statement of facts. Al Jazeera reported that Meng’s admission was part of a 2021 deal to dismiss criminal charges she faced related to bank fraud in connection with sanctions violations.
“‘Meng was — and is still — Huawei Tech’s CFO,’ US District Judge Ann Donnelly wrote.”
In that same four-page statement, Meng acknowledged lying to a financial institution about Huawei’s compliance with sanctions and export control law, and Donnelly rejected Huawei’s argument that prosecutors could not use the admission because the company was entitled to remain silent. The ongoing trial against Huawei includes allegations of misleading banks and stealing trade secrets, with the case framed by strained US-China relations after Meng’s arrest in Canada in 2018 on a US warrant.
Huawei, China Condemn
Huawei’s position in the case was that it had little information about the charges and was not aware of any wrongdoing by Meng Wanzhou, while a spokesperson for the embassy in Canada said she did not violate any laws in Canada or the United States. The DW account says the Chinese embassy in Canada strongly condemned Meng’s arrest and that China had formally lodged its protest with Canadian and American authorities, calling for Meng’s immediate release. In the Al Jazeera account of the Brooklyn ruling, Donnelly rejected Huawei’s argument that prosecutors could not use Meng’s admission against it because the company was entitled to remain silent despite her statement.
Donnelly also said it was unnecessary for Huawei to question Meng at trial, and a Huawei spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The case is tied to US sanctions on Iran, with the Al Jazeera account stating Meng made the admission as part of a 2021 deal to dismiss criminal charges she faced in the case.
Trial Deadline and Stakes
The trial is set for jury selection on September 8, and the Al Jazeera account links the case to allegations that Huawei illegally conducted business in Iran. The Oz Arab Media account adds that Meng’s admission concerned Huawei’s illegal business activities in Iran and that the upcoming trial is scheduled for September 8. VOA Farsi reports that Meng Wanzhou appeared in court in Vancouver as US prosecutors charged her with "evading Iran sanctions" from 2009 to 2014, which could carry a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
“The trial is set for jury selection on September 8.”
VOA Farsi also states that the Friday court session in Vancouver was to consider bail and temporary release, with Meng facing possible extradition to the United States. Across the accounts, the US case is described as involving sanctions violations tied to Iran, with the Brooklyn ruling determining that Meng’s admissions can be used against Huawei in the criminal trial.