Jian Guo, an aide who worked for a leading member of Germany's far-right AfD party, has been given a jail term of four years and nine months for spying for China.
Guo had worked in Brussels for Maximilian Krah, a member of the European Parliament, for five years until last year. Krah is now an MP in the German parliament.
The court in Dresden heard how Guo gathered information and passed on confidential documents to Chinese authorities. Guo maintained his innocence, claiming he had not worked for Chinese intelligence, and Krah stated that he learned about the allegations against his ex-employee from the media.
The prosecution accused the 48-year-old German national of working for Chinese intelligence since 2002, raising alarms about China's spying activities in the European Union.
Guo was also accused of spying on Chinese dissidents and opposition figures in Germany. In a serious court ruling, Guo insisted, I did not work for a Chinese intelligence agency and I am innocent, during his final statement.
He allegedly acted as a handler for a Chinese national employed by a logistics firm at Leipzig airport, who received a suspended jail term. The female accused, identified only as Yaqi X, admitted to sharing information but denied any knowledge of espionage.
Following Guo's sentencing, Krah stated that he elevated security in his office immediately after the arrest. Krah recently resigned from his European Parliament position to serve in the Bundestag, while still being under investigation for money laundering and corruption related to his role as an elected representative.
Krah described these allegations as absurd and politically motivated.
