A former assistant to a politician for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) went on trial in a German court on Tuesday, charged with spying for China's intelligence agency.
The defendant, identified as German national Jian G. in line with German privacy rules, is suspected of having worked for a Chinese intelligence service since 2002, say prosecutors.
Dresden court spokesperson Meike Schaaf said he was charged with gathering documents and files from the European Parliament while working for Maximilian Krah, a former European lawmaker who now represents the AfD in Germany's national parliament, according to Reuters.
Federal prosecutors argue some documents were partially confidential and they also accuse him of collecting personal information on the leadership of the AfD and of spying on Chinese opposition members and dissidents.
The high-profile case has fuelled concern about Europe being a target for Chinese spying.
Beijing has denied accusations of espionage in Europe. The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond on Tuesday to a Reuters request for comment on the German case.
The case has also put a spotlight on the pro-China and pro-Russia views of some senior members of the AfD, which is currently polling at 25%, level with the ruling conservative bloc, a weekend Forsa survey showed.
A woman, identified as Chinese national Jaqi X., is also on trial. She is charged with helping Jian G. between August 2023 and February 2024 by providing information about flights at Leipzig airport related to the transportation of equipment and people with connections to a German arms company.
Jian G. has been in detention since his arrest on April 2024 and Jaqi X. since September 2024.
The court spokesperson said that if convicted, Jian G. would face a jail term of between one and 10 years due to the serious nature of the intelligence agency activity for a foreign power. Less serious cases could see a fine or up to five years in jail.
Court dates have been scheduled until the end of September.
