DRESDEN (Germany), Sept 30 — A former aide to a senior politician from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for spying on behalf of China, in a case that has heightened concerns over Beijing’s intelligence activities in Europe.
DRESDEN (Germany), Sept 30 — A former aide to a senior politician from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for spying on behalf of China, in a case that has heightened concerns over Beijing’s intelligence activities in Europe.
The defendant, identified under German privacy laws as Jian G., a German national, was found guilty of monitoring Chinese dissidents in Europe and passing European Parliament information to Chinese intelligence, according to a ruling by the Dresden Higher Regional Court.
Prosecutors said Jian G. had been working for Chinese intelligence since 2002 and collected documents and files from the European Parliament during his tenure as an assistant to Maximilian Krah, a former MEP who now serves as an AfD lawmaker in Germany’s national parliament.
The Chinese embassy in Germany did not respond to requests for comment, while Beijing has previously denied accusations of espionage in Europe.
Krah said he awaited the court’s full written judgment to better understand the espionage activities that he described himself as a “victim” of, adding that he had tightened security in his office following Jian G.’s arrest.
The case unfolded while Krah was campaigning as the AfD’s lead candidate for the European Parliament, fueling wider concerns about the pro-China and pro-Russia stance of some senior figures within the party. — Reuters
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