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“Two, there’s an extraterritorial aspect to her case. And three, there’s the issue of Iran sanctions, which are involved in her case, and Canada does not sign on to these Iran sanctions. So, I think she has some strong arguments that she can make before a judge,” he said, in remarks posted to YouTube.

Photo by Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press/File

McCallum tempered the comments with statements about the government’s “zero interference” policy and the rule of law, according to multiple reports from media outlets in attendance at the press conference in Markham, which has a large Chinese population.

He also stressed the close ties between China and Canada — at one point, on a personal note, saying all three of his sons had married Chinese women.

His comments garnered criticism when they came to broader attention on Wednesday, not least because mainstream outlets had not been invited to question him. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland’s office would not go on the record to explain why.

The ambassador’s arguments have been raised before, but by private commentators. The closest a Canadian official has come to offering an opinion was Freeland quipping in December when asked about Trump: “our extradition partners should not seek to politicize the extradition process.”

She was at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday and not available to comment.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would not directly address McCallum’s comments. “I think part of the strength of our justice system is people get to mount their own defence, and I know she (Meng) will do that,” he told reporters in Saskatchewan.