Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou’s (pictured) legal team pressed for access to uncensored versions of communications between Canadian and US officials, arguing the documents could be crucial to her claim to being falsely detained and arrested, Bloomberg reported.

Censored versions of exchanges between the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and Canadian intelligence agencies were already provided to Meng’s defence team. But at a court hearing yesterday (27 July), the lawyers claimed the original files could hold information relevant to the executive’s case, the news outlet stated.

US officials have sought Meng’s extradition since her arrest in Canada in December 2018 over alleged fraud and sanctions violations. The executive claims her constitutional rights were violated when she was detained and searched under the pretence of a routine immigration check, though attempts to have extradition proceedings dismissed were dealt a blow in May, when a Canadian judge ruled the case could proceed.

The Associated Press reported Meng’s legal team recently renewed efforts to have the case dropped, accusing the US government of using her as a pawn in trade negotiations with China and insisting President Donald Trump and his administration “have no real interest in the merits of the criminal proceeding”.