A former adviser to a member of the far -right party in Germany, alternative Für Deutschland (AFD), has been sentenced to almost five years in prison in favor of China.
Former advisor is accused of espionage in favor of China Photo Shutterstock
Jian Guo was convicted on Tuesday for acting as an agent of the Chinese Intelligence Service while working for Maximilian Krah, a former member of the European Parliament, who is now AFD in the German Bundestag, writes The Guardian.
The case has aroused concerns about the extent to which Europe is targeted by Chinese spies.
Collecting confidential information and surveillance
Guo, a German citizen, was found guilty to collect information, including confidential documents, while working in the parliamentary bureau between 2019 and 2024, and sent them to the Chinese authorities. He denied the accusations.
The Court of Dresden has learned that Guo has gathered personal data on political leaders and supervised Chinese dissidents in Europe.
The judge who sentenced him to four years and nine months in prison said: “There is no doubt that you were an employee of a Chinese intelligence service.”
A Chinese accomplice received a suspended sentence of one year and nine months, after acknowledging that it provided information on flights, goods and passengers, including related to military equipment and vehicles.
The reaction of the parliamentary office
Maximilian Krah said that the counselor employee due to his linguistic skills and professional experience and that, after his arrest, he took additional measures for the security of his office.
The authorities also investigate the parliamentarian for suspicions of bribes and money laundering, related to payments supposed to be received from abroad during the period when he was a member of the European Parliament.
Recently, the parliamentary immunity was raised, allowing investigators to carry out office searches and his home. The parliamentarian denied any illegality and qualified the right investigation “Attempt to intimidate political”.
The parliamentarian was excluded from the party delegation to the European Parliament due to accusations and controversial statements, but later returned as a deputy in Bundestag, after the party obtained the best national result.
Beijing has previously denied spy charges in Europe, stating that European reports on Chinese espionage activities are only “Exaggerations meant to slander and suppress China”.
