Germany: Ex-AfD aide convicted of spying for China

The Higher Regional Court in Dresden convicted Jian G., a German national, of espionage for China on Tuesday.

The judges ruled his intelligence activity while working in the European Parliament for far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) politician Maximilian Krah constituted a “particularly serious case” of espionage.

What did the judges decide in the China espionage case?

Judges found that G. had collected information on party leadership figures while working for Krah between 2019 and 2024, and had transferred partly confidential documents to Chinese authorities. He also monitored Chinese dissidents living in Europe, the judges said.

G. denied the charges in his final statement, insisting he never worked for a Chinese service. His defense lawyer sought acquittal, citing a lack of evidence. Prosecutors had demanded a seven-and-a-half-year sentence.

Co-defendant Jaqi X., accused of supplying cargo and passenger data from her job at Leipzig Airport, admitted passing information but denied knowledge of espionage. She was given a suspended sentence of one year and nine months.

Krah, who testified as a witness, told the court he was unaware of his aide’s Communist Party membership or covert activities. He himself is under separate investigation for bribery and money laundering related to Chinese payments.

Edited by: Karl Sexton