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CBC
29 minutes ago
- CBC
Hong Kong has issued a warrant for his arrest, but this Vancouverite isn't worried
Social Sharing Last week, Hong Kong issued arrest warrants for 19 overseas activists, all members of a group called Hong Kong Parliament, which promotes self-determination in Hong Kong and the establishment of a Hong Kong constitution. But Hong Kong alleges the group is using illegal means to overthrow institutions in China. Among the 19 is Victor Ho, a Canadian citizen and Vancouver-based journalist who works for the B.C. edition of Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily. It's not the first time he's been faced with an arrest warrant from Hong Kong, Ho said. A warrant was issued for Ho's arrest in 2021, and again in December 2024. Ho said this most recent arrest warrant was expected. He spoke with CBC's On The Coast host Gloria Macarenko. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Victor, how did you hear about this warrant? I learned this message from social media last Thursday evening when I was attending a concert in downtown Vancouver. It's a bit of a strange feeling. How can a Canadian be wanted by the Hong Kong government three times? The first time is 2021. The second one is last December — the Hong Kong government gave one million Hong Kong dollar bounty for me. Are you concerned? Are you, are you afraid at all? No, because this is the third time. The Canadian government approached me many times after the first time I was wanted by the Hong Kong government, including Global Affairs Canada, including CSIS and including the RCMP. Even the public safety ministry, they approached me. They had various information for me about my personal safety, about my immediate danger. They have a lot of information to advise me not to go to the countries with extradition treaties with Hong Kong. They are trying to protect me and ask me what they can do to make me feel safe. WATCH | Victor Ho among those wanted in Hong Kong: Hong Kong police issue fresh wave of arrest warrants for 19 overseas activists 19 hours ago What about the accusations here? Police say that your group sought to overthrow the governments of China and Hong Kong by unlawful means. How do you respond to that? In my opinion, that is inappropriate. And this is not in proportion. We just express our willingness to organize a universal suffrage for Hong Kong people overseas and in Hong Kong proper. So me and a group of overseas Hong Kong people try to organize in a grassroot democracy style to say that the Hong Kong people have the right to self-determination, their sovereignty should be honoured. So we try to materialize these rights, democratic rights only. I don't think we have enough power to overthrow the government. What about your friends, even family in Hong Kong? What is life like for them there? Actually, I cut off all ties, all connections with my Hong Kong family members last year. This was my suggestion to cut off. I don't want to involve them. I don't want the police to come to their doorsteps and ask them a lot of questions. I just cut off all connection. Even telephone. I have a lot of relatives in Hong Kong. I have eight sisters and brothers. I haven't received any bad news from my family members in Hong Kong. So far so good. But I hope they can find no evidence from my relatives in Hong Kong because I left my original family in early 20s. For over 40 years, I don't have very close connections with them so they cannot find evidence to bother my relatives there. Why is it so many of them stay, in light of what you've described this afternoon? Why don't they leave like you have? There are various reasons: because of financial capacity, because of their ties with relatives in mainland China. Some of my elder brothers have wives from mainland China. So the cultural connection cannot be easily cut off on their standpoint. So I understand their situation. I immigrated to Canada because of my career. I know the sensitivity of my career to a communist regime. They don't like any journalists, so after a discussion with my wife, we decided to leave Hong Kong in 1997 to play it safe.
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Fugitive ex-Olympian's alleged cocaine courier agrees to U.S. extradition
Social Sharing A Toronto-area man known to associates as the "Russian" – accused of conspiring to smuggle cocaine on behalf of a former Olympic snowboarder – has agreed to be extradited to the U.S. Rakhim Ibragimov appeared in a downtown Toronto court Tuesday morning, for what was scheduled to be an hours-long extradition hearing. Instead, Ibragimov's lawyer Harval Bassi told the judge his client was consenting to his surrender to the U.S. "That is correct," Ibragimov told Ontario Superior Court Justice Peter Bawden. The Uzbekistan-born Ibragimov, 48, faces conspiracy charges in Los Angeles, where he's expected to stand trial early next year alongside several other associates of Ryan Wedding. Wedding, who competed for Canada as a snowboarder at the 2002 Olympic Games in Utah, is listed as one of the FBI's 10 most-wanted fugitives. Born in Thunder Bay, Ont., he's suspected of living in Mexico, while leading a cartel-linked drug-trafficking organization tied to multiple murders. Kiran Gill, a lawyer representing the Attorney General of Canada told court Ibragimov had been identified as a "courier" for Wedding's network. According to U.S. investigators, Ibragimov was caught near L.A. in April 2024 as he loaded boxes filled with 375 kilograms of cocaine – apparently destined for Canada – into his rental car. Wedding's network is accused of using the area as a logistics hub for its $1-billion US cocaine and fentanyl smuggling operation. At the time, Ibragimov was detained and then allowed to return to Ontario. He was again arrested last fall, this time by Toronto police, as U.S. authorities moved in on more than a dozen of Wedding's alleged co-conspirators in Canada, the U.S, Mexico and Colombia. WATCH | From Olympian to fugitive: Ryan Wedding's path from Olympian to most-wanted fugitive 5 months ago Ryan Wedding once represented Canada as an Olympic snowboarder; now he's accused of being a drug kingpin and is on the FBI's most wanted list — with a $10 million US reward being offered for information leading to his arrest. CBC's Thomas Daigle traces his shocking path from the top of the slopes to the underworld. Sporting a hoodie and a grey goatee in the prisoner box on Tuesday, Ibragimov smiled and waved at a woman in the public gallery. According to the U.S. indictment, his co-defendants referred to Ibragimov as the "Russian" in encrypted messages later intercepted by investigators. He acknowledged to the judge that by consenting to his surrender, he's waiving his right to a 30-day delay before extradition. "You're ready to go any time, correct, sir?" Bawden asked. "Yes," Ibragimov said. Ibragimov and several co-defendants are scheduled to stand trial next February in federal court in L.A. Ten Canadians are among those indicted, including an uncle and his nephew accused of co-ordinating drug shipments, a Toronto-based alleged hitman known as "Mr. Perfect," and Wedding's top lieutenant, Andrew Clark. Between them, Wedding and Clark are charged with orchestrating four murders in Ontario. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office told CBC News next year's trial is set to proceed even if Wedding – the lead defendant – is not captured by then. The RCMP has said the 43-year-old poses "one of the largest organized crime threats to Canada, even as a fugitive."
CTV News
8 hours ago
- CTV News
Ontario photographer receives box of staples instead of $2,577 camera lens they ordered
An Ontario photographer is frustrated after her $2,577 camera lens is replaced with box of staples. An Ontario woman who enjoys photography wanted to buy a special camera lens she found online. But, when the shipment arrived, she opened it to find a box of staples instead. 'I was completely shocked. I didn't know what to do,' Viktoryia Shkel of Maple, Ont. told CTV News Toronto. Shkel is a photography enthusiast and said she wanted to upgrade to a more advanced camera lens. She said she found one online on Canon Canada's website for $2,577 that was part of a 'damaged box' sale. However, when the shipment arrived in mid-June, Shkel said she opened the box to find it was full of staples. 'The box was supposed to contain a Canon EF 24-70mm lens, and instead there was a box of staples,' she said. Shkel told CTV News she contacted Canon Canada to explain what happened, and sent photos of what she received. 'They notified me that all protocols were followed... they said the lens was inspected in the facility and by the time the lens left, everything was intact.' She said that while the outside box was sealed, the box for the camera lens had been opened—something that is standard with open or damaged box sales. 'There was no safety seal,' she said. Shkel claimed the box of staples weighed the same as what the camera lens would. But, following an internal investigation by Canon Canada, she was told she would not be getting a refund. box of staples Viktoryia Shkel of Maple, Ont. shows the weight of the box of staples she received instead of a $2,577 camera lens. (Supplied) 'I'm completely heartbroken. I'm completely shocked this happened to me and I'm really, really upset.' In late 2023, CTV News reported on a similar story with the Mankad family of Brampton. The family had ordered a laptop, but received two books instead. 'Someone must have opened the box, took out the laptop and replaced it with two books of equal weight and size,' Hardik Mankad said at the time. With CTV News' help, the Mankad family got a refund. In Shkel's case, CTV News reached out to Canon Canada and a spokesperson said in a statement, 'Internally, we have launched an investigation with our customer care and warehouse teams to examine what may have occurred.' 'We can confirm that our current process for outbound shipments require a weight verification of the product(s) held within and must match our strict weight measurements before being sent. Both our warehouse and shipping partner have confirmed that the outbound package did match the measurements and weight that would be expected for the lens model purchased, however based on the information provided by Viktoryia, it appears that the package may have been tampered with after departing our facility.' 'This is an unusual situation that we have not previously encountered, but while we continue the investigation with our shipping partner, we understand that the customer is currently bearing the financial burden of this loss. Customer satisfaction is a top priority for our brand, and we are currently in the process of issuing a refund to this customer for the cost of the lens.' Shkel has now received a full refund and plans to buy a new lens in person at a camera store.
