Indictment Filed on Suspicion of Engaging in Intelligence Activities

Year of issue 2025
Date 29.04.2025

On 9 April 2025, the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office filed an indictment against the

the German national Jian G. and
the Chinese national Yaqi X.

before the State Security Chamber of the Dresden Higher Regional Court.

There are sufficient grounds to suspect the accused of having engaged in intelligence activities for an intelligence service of a foreign power that are directed against the Federal Republic of Germany (section 99 para. 1 no. 1 of the German Criminal Code [StGB]); Jian G. is charged with one especially serious count (section 99 para. 2 StGB) of engaging in such intelligence activities.

In essence, the indictment sets out the following allegations:

Jian G. was an operative of a Chinese intelligence service since 2002; as such, he carried out a wide range of intelligence activities, also on German territory and against individuals in Germany. Since September 2019 until his arrest in April 2024, he worked officially as assistant to a delegate of the party “Alternative für Deutschland“ (AfD) in the European Parliament. Jian G. used this position to gather intelligence on debates and decisions of the European Parliament for the Chinese intelligence service. To this end, the accused procured more than 500 documents, some of which the European Parliament had classified as highly sensitive. At the time, he was also collecting information on senior AfD politicians. In 2023 and 2024, he also spied out Chinese opposition members and dissidents in Germany. In doing so, he pretended to be critical of the Chinese government on social media, thus attempting to gain access to personal and other information of factual dissidents.

Until her arrest in late September 2024, Yaqi X. used to work for a company which provides logistical services at Leipzig/Halle Airport, among other places. Between mid-August 2023 and mid-February 2024, she assisted Jian G. by repeatedly providing him with flight, freight, and passenger information of Leipzig/Halle Airport; said information was then forwarded to Chinese intelligence. Particular importance was attached to information on the shipment of military hardware and persons linked to a German arms manufacturer.

Jian G. was arrested on 22 April 2024 and Yaqi X. was taken into custody on 30 September 2024 (see Press Releases No. 22 and 23 of 23 April 2024 and No. 24 of 24 April 2024 and also No. 48 of 1 October 2024). Both individuals are still pre-trial detention.