Far-right German MP's ex-aide on trial for spying for China
DRESDEN: A German court will on Tuesday launch the trial of two suspected spies for China, one of whom worked as an assistant to the far-right lawmaker Maximilian Krah.
The German national, partially identified as Jian G.,
allegedly worked for Chinese intelligence from 2002, including while he was an aide to the Alternative for Germany (AfD) MEP Krah between 2019 and 2024.
Jian G. is accused by prosecutors in Dresden of using that position to pass on information about debates and decisions at the European Parliament, as well as some documents deemed highly sensitive.
He is also suspected of being the handler for a second alleged operative, Chinese national Yaqi X.,
who is accused of spying on elements of the German arms industry.
Jian G. is also suspected of gathering intelligence on leading AfD politicians and spying on Chinese dissidents in Germany.
This included posing as an opponent of the Chinese government on social media in order to gain contacts in the opposition scene.
The second defendant, Yaqi X., worked at a company which provided Leipzig airport with logistics services and is accused of helping Jian G.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
25 Best Cities for Living
Tripminutes.com
Undo
access information on flights and passengers.
The information she passed on focused on flights transporting defence equipment and "people with links to a German arms company".
According to German media reports, she particularly targeted arms giant Rheinmetall, which is involved in making Leopard tanks and which uses Leipzig airport for cargo flights.
Both defendants have been in detention since they were arrested last year.
The trial could be particularly embarrassing for the AfD if it leads to the information Jian G. collected on the party becoming public.
According to news weekly Der Spiegel, investigators have seized records that Jian G. kept of conversations with Krah and other AfD politicians in which they discussed the private life of party co-leader Alice Weidel and alleged power struggles with her colleague Tino Chrupalla.
Krah denied to the magazine ever having discussed such matters with Jian G.
Krah was the AfD's top candidate in last year's European elections, but was excluded from its delegation after comments in which he minimised the crimes of the Nazis' notorious SS.
However, he was welcomed back into the AfD fold for this year's German general election and now sits as one of the party's MPs in the Bundestag.
The trial is expected to last until the end of September and Krah himself has been called to appear as a witness.
Krah is also being investigated by prosecutors in Dresden on suspicion of money laundering and corruption during his time as a member of the European Parliament.
According to Der Spiegel, between 2019 and 2023 he received more than 50,000 euros ($57,900) in payments from firms linked to Jian G.
Krah denies all wrongdoing and says the accusations against him are "politically motivated".
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
15 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Good prospect': Trump on summit with Putin and Zelenskyy after US envoy Witkoff's Russia visit
US President Donald Trump has said that there is a 'good chance' he could meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, following the talks between his envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin on Wednesday which the US president described as 'very good talks'. A White House official confirmed the development on Wednesday and said President Trump could meet Putin as soon as next week, though the United States is adamant to impose secondary sanctions on Russia on Friday, in order to pressure Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. When asked at the White House if Putin and Zelenskyy had agreed to such a summit, Trump said there was a 'very good prospect', but refrained from providing any further details. Such a face to face meeting between the US and Russian president would be first since June 2021 when former President Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva, eight months prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. According to a New York Times report, Trump told European leaders during a call on Wednesday that he intends to meet Putin first and then hold a trilateral meeting with Zelenskyy and the Russian president. Putin and Zelenskyy have not met each other since December 2019. 'The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the President is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelenskyy,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. The Kremlin earlier issued a statement about the talks between Witkoff and Putin, as a foreign policy aide said the two sides exchanged 'signals' as part of 'constructive' talks in Moscow, BBC reported. The meeting came days before a US sponsored deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine or face secondary sanctions. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy also said that he spoke to the US president about envoy Witkoff's Moscow visit, with European leaders also on the call.
Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
Fake ED officers rob trader of Rs 70 lakh, gold
1 2 Vijayawada: In a shocking case of impersonation and organised robbery, four individuals — two of them dressed in police uniform — allegedly posed as Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials and fled with Rs 70 lakh in cash and some quantity of raw gold from a jeweller near Medikonduru on Sunday. The incident came to light after the trader lodged a formal complaint with the local police. According to Medikonduru circle inspector Nagul Meera, the complainant, Mani Jagadeesh, is a resident of Guntupalli in Ibrahimpatnam mandal. He is a recent entrepreneur, who opened a gold and silver testing shop named Sri Swami Samartha Gold & Silver Testing Centre in Vijayawada last month. Prior to this, Jagadeesh worked at a similar shop in Rajamahendravaram, where he came in contact with a person named Ranjith Maruthi Peta. Around 15 days ago, Ranjith contacted Jagadeesh and informed him about the availability of raw gold at Rs 5,000 per gram. Acting on the offer, Jagadeesh purchased five grams of raw gold through an unidentified person, paying Rs 25,000. Satisfied with the initial transaction, Jagadeesh later decided to procure two kilograms of raw gold at Rs 58 lakh per kilogram. For this larger deal, Jagadeesh, along with his friend Praveen from Kakinada, travelled to Rajamahendravaram. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Jolie-Pitt Family Shows Support For Shiloh's Change Drivepedia Undo There, they agreed to pay Rs 70 lakh initially and finalise the remaining payment later. On Sunday, Jagadeesh, Praveen, Ranjith, and a few others began their journey from Palnadu district's Sattenapalli in two vehicles after holding discussions about the gold trade. Jagadeesh's car was intercepted on the outskirts of Medikonduru by people in another vehicle. Four individuals, including two dressed as police officers, confronted the group. Claiming to be ED officials, the impersonators threatened the victims and forcibly took away Rs 70 lakh in cash along with the raw gold that was in Jagadeesh's possession. Following the incident, Jagadeesh approached the local police on Monday and filed a formal complaint. He also reported that Ranjith Maruthi Peta, who facilitated the deal, since went missing and was untraceable. Medikonduru police have registered a case based on Jagadeesh's complaint and have launched a manhunt for the suspects. Efforts are underway to track down the culprits using surveillance footage and mobile data records.
News18
25 minutes ago
- News18
Israeli President demands truth after German media exposes fake Gaza photography
Tel Aviv [ Israel], August 7 (ANI/TPS): During a visit to Tallinn on Wednesday, President Isaac Herzog of Israel used a joint press appearance with Estonian President Alar Karis to call out what he described as Hamas-led propaganda efforts, citing recent investigative reports from leading German newspapers that revealed staged images from Gaza. Herzog contrasted these fabricated scenes with the very real suffering of Israeli hostages, exposing what he called Hamas' 'hypocrisy and manipulation."Standing alongside President Karis at the Estonian Presidential Palace, Herzog held up two photos: one of Israeli hostage Eviatar David, a Nova music festival attendee now emaciated after months in captivity; and another of Rom Breslavsky, who appeared in a recent Hamas video. Herzog juxtaposed these with a now-controversial image from Gaza showing Palestinians holding empty pots in front of a food distribution center. 'It was all staged," Herzog said. 'There was food in the next room — the hostages who escaped from tunnels told us this. The captors are not starving. Our people are."His remarks follow revelations from the Suddeutsche Zeitung, which published an expose showing how Hamas uses staged imagery to sway international opinion. According to the investigation, professional photographers — some working with international news agencies — were found directing civilians to pose with empty pots and in fabricated scenarios meant to convey starvation. 'At least some of the images were presented in a false or misleading context," the paper such photographer, identified by Bild as Anas Zayed Fatiyeh, was hired by Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency. Fatiyeh, according to the report, regularly posts anti-Israel content on social media, including expletive-laden messages and calls to 'Free Palestine." His photographs have been published in major outlets such as the BBC and CNN despite their questionable authenticity.'Why are German and international news agencies continuing to use his images when many are clearly biased or staged?" Bild manipulation of war photography triggered alarm within Germany's press circles. The German Journalists' Association (DJV) issued a statement warning of 'manipulation attempts through professionally produced press photography." DJV Chair Mika Beuster noted that 'all parties involved in this war — including media and intelligence services — are using the power of imagery like never before to shape public perception."A historian and visual documentation expert interviewed by Suddeutsche Zeitung added that while not all such images are outright fakes, they are often 'positioned a certain way or paired with misleading captions that tap into our visual memory and emotions."Herzog urged the international community to resist falling for such distortions. 'We do not deny the humanitarian need in Gaza," he said, 'but we ask the world not to fall for Hamas' lies. Condemn Hamas and tell them: You want to move forward? Release the hostages."He emphasized that Israel has drastically increased its humanitarian aid efforts, saying, 'In the last week alone, we've brought in 30,000 tons of aid — 30 tons by air yesterday alone. The UN has almost 800 trucks they could distribute — and failed to do so. So a lot could have been done."A special report by The Press Service of Israel on Thursday found that according to the UN's own numbers, a staggering 85% of the aid entering the Gaza Strip by truck since May 19 has been stolen. The investigation found that a combination of black market profiteers and inflation have made much of the aid in Gaza markets unaffordable for most sources inside Gaza told TPS-IL that much of the food in the markets originated from international aid for months — including American shipments — but is resold at inflated prices, sometimes 300%. Basic staples like flour and rice, originally meant for free distribution, are reportedly diverted to private Palestinian in Gaza City told TPS-IL, 'The flour — when it enters Gaza, they steal it. And now they're going to raise the price from 30 to 60 shekels [$8.80 to $17.70]. It's unbelievable."Professor Eytan Gilboa an expert in international relations and media at Reichman University in Herzliya, told TPS-IL, 'There is some hunger in Gaza, and it exists only in places Hamas is pursuing it, not in other areas."In 2024, experts told TPS-IL that two Gaza-based Palestinian freelance photojournalists comitted war crimes by entering Israel during Hamas's October 7 a Jerusalem-based media watchdog, found that freelance photographers Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa and Ashraf Amra entered Israel to photograph the attacks. They then returned to Khan Yunis and went on Amra's Instagram Live account and excitedly shared a video of a mob pulling an Israeli soldier out of a tank, urging Palestinians to join the attack. Mostafa's photos were published by Reuters while Amra's were credited to 'Ashraf Amra/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images."Approximately 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 50 remaining hostages, around 30 are believed to be dead. (ANI/TPS)
