The attorney for a top executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei says he will ask the court to stop the case against her because of comments from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou is under house arrest in Canada awaiting possible extradition to the United States, where she is wanted on fraud charges.
Meng and her attorney, Scott Fenton, appeared in a Vancouver courtroom Wednesday.
Fenton said previous comments by Trump that he would intervene in Meng's case if it would help U.S.-China trade negotiations showed the case against her might be politically motivated.
Fenton called Trump's comments "intimidating and corrosive of the rule of law."
Canadian police arrested Meng on a U.S. warrant in December. She is accused of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran and defrauding banks by hiding such activities through a Huawei subsidiary.
A Huawai official said Wednesday that Meng's financial activities were done openly and with the full knowledge of the banks.
Meng is the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhangfe. She has denied the charges.
Canada has refused China's demand to free Meng.
China arrested two Canadians in December for alleged spying in apparent retaliation for Meng's arrest. Another Canadian citizen sentenced to 15 years in prison on drug charges in China now faces the death penalty.
China is also blocking imports of Canadian canola seed.
