Huawei faces U.S. trial eight years after charges over Iran dealings, trade secrets
A long-running legal battle between the United States and Chinese technology giant Huawei is entering a major new phase, with the company facing trial in a federal court in Brooklyn, New York, eight years after the case began.
Huawei is accused of bank and wire fraud, money laundering, racketeering, sanctions violations and obstruction, as well as conspiring to steal trade secrets from five U.S. technology companies. Prosecutors also allege that the company misrepresented its business activities in North Korea.
A central part of the case involves Skycom, a company U.S. prosecutors describe as an unofficial Huawei subsidiary in Iran. Authorities allege Huawei used Skycom to obtain restricted U.S. goods and services for its Iranian operations and to move money through the international banking system in violation of U.S. sanctions.
Prosecutors also allege that Huawei-linked operations supplied surveillance equipment used by Iranian authorities to monitor protesters during anti-government demonstrations in Tehran in 2009. The company is further accused of attempting to obtain confidential technology from U.S. competitors.
The case gained international attention in 2018 after Huawei Chief Financial Officer, Meng Wanzhou, was arrested in Canada on a U.S. extradition request. Meng was released in 2021 after reaching an agreement with U.S. prosecutors, while the extradition request was withdrawn.
Huawei has pleaded not guilty and strongly denies wrongdoing, describing the U.S. allegations as politically motivated and aimed at undermining its global competitiveness. Chinese officials have similarly accused Washington of using national security concerns to suppress Chinese technology companies.
Jury selection is now underway, with the trial expected to last about three months.
