German spy trial of far-right MPs former aide begins

The former assistant to a leading member of Germanys far-right populist Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has gone on trial in Dresden, accused of spying for China.

The German Chinese dual national, identified only as Jian G - in line with German privacy rules - was an assistant to AfD politician Maximilian Krah.

Jian G has been accused of working for a Chinese intelligence service since 2002, and charged by Germanys Federal Public Prosecutor General.

He allegedly gathered documents and files from the European Parliament while working for Krah, a former EU lawmaker, who now represents the AfD in Germanys Parliament, the Bundestag.

Jian G denies all the charges against him.

Prosecutors say he worked for the AfD at the European Parliament from 2019 until 2024, and accused Jian G of using the position to gather information for China on EU Parliament consultations and decisions, including what they described as some "particularly sensitive information."

He is also charged with spying on Chinese dissidents and opposition figures in Germany, and of gathering personal information about leading figures in the AfD.

The high-profile case has fuelled concern about Europe being a target for Chinese spying.

Prosecutor Stephan Morweiser told reporters that the case was "particularly serious" as it shed light on "the extensive espionage interests that China has in relation to political, military and economic matters in Germany and the EU".

When Jian G was taken into custody last year, Chinas foreign affairs ministry rejected his arrest as speculation designed "to smear and suppress China".

It has denied allegations of espionage in Europe.

Also on trial is a Chinese national named as Jaqi X. She worked at a firm that provided Leipzig airport with logistics services.

From mid-August 2023 to mid-February 2024, she is accused of assisting Jian G by repeatedly providing him with information for the Chinese intelligence service about flights, cargo, and passengers at Leipzig Airport.

The information related in particular to the transport of military equipment and people with connections to a German defence contractor.

She told the court she knew nothing about connections to the Chinese intelligence service.

The trial is expected to last until late September and reports in the German media say Maximilian Krah has been called to appear as a witness.

Krah resigned from his seat in the European Parliament earlier this year. He was elected to the Bundestag in February via an AfD direct mandate in Saxony.

He is currently under investigation by the Dresden Public Prosecutors Office, reportedly concerning allegations of money laundering and corruption as an elected representative in the European Parliament.

Krah has called the accusations "absurd and politically motivated."