Agreement with the US judiciary: Huawei's chief financial officer is released

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After almost three years, Meng is allowed to return to her home country

Photo: Darryl Dyck / dpa

The US case against Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, which has been going on for years, is settled with an agreement with the US Department of Justice.

Canadian judge Heather Holmes ended the extradition proceedings against Meng at a brief hearing in Vancouver on Friday and ordered the release of her custody sentence.

Meng can now return to China after almost three years.

As a representative of the US Department of Justice said on Friday in a federal court in New York, a kind of probation procedure has been agreed.

The allegations against the finance director could be dropped in December 2022 if Meng adheres to the conditions.

The top manager of the telecommunications giant was arrested in 2018 at the instigation of the USA on a stopover in the Canadian city of Vancouver.

The US judiciary accuses her of bank fraud in the context of the Iran sanctions and has demanded her extradition.

Meng's lawyers, on the other hand, speak of abuse of procedure by the US authorities.

The Chinese government accuses the US of targeting Huawei.

Meng's arrest created a serious diplomatic crisis between China and Canada.

Canada and western states accuse Beijing of "hostage diplomacy" in connection with the proceedings: a few days after Meng's arrest, the Chinese authorities arrested two Canadians who were being tried for "espionage".

Huawei is one of the world's largest telecommunications equipment manufacturers and a leader in 5G technology.

Meng is the oldest daughter of the Huawei company founder Ren Zhengfei.

The US in particular accuses Huawei of being too close to the Chinese authorities and sees the group as a threat to their cybersecurity.

There are also fears of this kind in Germany.

kim / dpa / AFP / Reuters