German lawmaker's former aide convicted for spying for China

Berlin, Sep 30 (IANS) An aide who worked for Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party's lawmaker was convicted on Tuesday for spying for China. Jian Guo served in the parliamentary office of Afd party lawmaker Maximilian Krah from 2019 to 2024, several reports indicated.

Maximilian Krah was a member of the European Parliament between 2019 and March this year and is currently a member of Germany's parliament. Guo has been charged of working for a Chinese intelligence service and repeatedly sharing information regarding negotiations and decisions in the European Union Parliament between September 2019 - April 2024, when he was arrested, Euro News reported on Tuesday.

Guo has been jailed for four years and nine months at the Higher Regional Court of Dresden in Germany. During the court hearing last week, Guo denied any wrongdoing. He also spied on Chinese dissidents and collected information on AfD politicians. An accomplice of Guo, identified as Yaqi X, was jailed in Dresden on Tuesday and given a suspended sentence of one year and nine months.

Prosecutors said she had worked for a logistics company servicing Leipzig airport and used her position to gather information about "the transport of military equipment and persons with connections to a German arms company." Yaqi X then gave information to Guo, who was accused of being her handler. She accepted to have shared information but denied having any knowledge about espionage plans, as per the Euro News report.

Krah was a witness in Guo's trial and denied having any knowledge regarding his former aide's activities. During the hearing, he said that all staff in his office at the time, including Jian Guo, could access his personal account, including emails, appointments and documents.

Earlier this month, Germany's parliament lifted Krah's immunity with regards to allegations that he also had connection with China and was involved in corruption and spying scandals. Lifting his immunity as a lawmaker was needed to prosecute him. Authorities carried out search at his home and offices under a court order. He has denied any wrongdoing and termed the allegations politically motivated.

--IANS

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