BERLIN (AP) — A man who worked for a prominent German far-right lawmaker in the European Parliament was convicted Tuesday of spying for China for more than four years, according to German news agency dpa.
Jian Guo, a German citizen, was accused of working for a Chinese intelligence service and repeatedly passing on information about negotiations and decisions in the EU Parliament between September 2019 and April 2024, when he was arrested. He was sentenced Tuesday to four years and nine months in prison, dpa reported. Guo denied any wrongdoing during a court hearing last week.
China’s foreign ministry, responding to similar reports last year, stated that allegations of Chinese spying in Europe are “hyping up with an aim to smear and suppress China.”
In addition to spying on EU Parliament activities, Guo also monitored Chinese dissidents in Germany and gathered information on prominent politicians with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Due to Germany’s privacy rules, the federal prosecutor named him only as Jian G. However, his former boss, far-right lawmaker Maximilian Krah, has previously identified him. Krah testified during Guo’s trial and stated that he was unaware of his former aide’s espionage activities, according to dpa.
Earlier this month, Germany’s parliament lifted Krah’s immunity following allegations that he too had ties to China and was involved in corruption and spying scandals. Removing his parliamentary immunity was necessary for prosecutors to pursue legal action. Authorities conducted searches of Krah’s home and offices under a court order.
Krah denies any wrongdoing and claims the allegations against him are politically motivated.
Last year, AfD banned Krah from participating in EU elections after he told an Italian newspaper that not all members of the Nazi SS elite unit — responsible for major war crimes during World War II — were war criminals. Despite this, Krah won a seat in the German parliament earlier this year as part of the party’s historic gains in the Bundestag during the national election.
AfD’s second-place finish cemented the party’s status as a significant political force that other politicians cannot ignore. Nevertheless, mainstream German parties have maintained a so-called “firewall” by refusing to collaborate with AfD.
https://fox5sandiego.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-former-aide-to-german-far-right-lawmaker-in-the-european-parliament-is-convicted-of-spying-for-china/