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Italy Agrees to Extradition of Chinese Hacker Linked to COVID

Devdiscourse • April 26, 2026

In a significant move, the Italian government has given the green light for the extradition of Xu Zewei, a Chinese national wanted by the U.S. on hacking charges.

The charges allege Xu's involvement in the theft of COVID-19 medical research, with accusations of wire fraud and identity theft during 2020 and 2021.

The U.S. Department of Justice claims Xu was part of a cyber-espionage team targeting American institutions and was connected to the group Hafnium, blamed for infiltrating global computers.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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Italy Extradites Chinese Hacker Xu Zewei to the U.S. for COVID-19 Research Theft Xu Zewei, a 33-year-old Chinese national, was extradited from Italy to the United States on April 27, 2026, following his arrest in Milan on July 3, 2025. He is accused of participating in cyberattacks directed by the Chinese government, specifically targeting U.S. universities to steal COVID-19 research between February 2020 and June 2021. The U.S. Department of Justice has charged him with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy related to a hacking campaign attributed to the Hafnium group. This group exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange servers, affecting over 60,000 entities and successfully compromising more than 12,700. Xu's extradition comes after an Italian court ruled in favor of the U.S. request earlier in April 2026. The Chinese government has condemned the extradition, claiming it is politically motivated. Xu maintains his innocence, asserting he is a victim of mistaken identity. 42 sources 74

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Italy Agrees to Extradition of Chinese Hacker Linked to COVID

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