Italy to extradite Chinese hacker Xu Zewei to US over Covid-19 research theft

The Italian authorities have opted to extradite Xu Zewei, a Chinese citizen, to the United States, where he faces hacking allegations. According to the US Justice Department, Xu is accused of stealing vital Covid-19 medical research in 2020 and 2021 under orders from the Chinese government. This decision comes after an Italian court sanctioned the extradition earlier this month. Xu's attorney, Enrico Giarda, mentioned that his client has not received any formal notification regarding the extradition. After Xu's arrest, his lawyer asserted that he was a victim of mistaken identity. Bloomberg was the first to report on the extradition, while a spokesperson for the Italian government refrained from commenting.