An erstwhile aide in the European Parliament (EP) to the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) MP Maximilian Krah has been sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for conducting espionage on behalf of China.
The court in Germany alleged Jian G. worked for Chinese intelligence since 2002—including between 2019 and 2024, while he was an aide to Krah, who himself served in the EP from 2019–2025 (initially with the AfD). The trial began on August 5th.
The Dresden Higher Regional Court found that Jian G. collected confidential documents and sensitive information, which he passed to Chinese authorities. He also gathered data on senior AfD politicians and monitored Chinese opposition figures living in Germany.
During the trial, Jian G. maintained his innocence, stating
I did not work for a Chinese intelligence service and I am innocent.
His lawyer requested a full acquittal, while the Federal Prosecutor General had called for a seven-and-a-half-year sentence.
Also convicted was Yaqi X., a Chinese national employed at a logistics company in Leipzig Airport. She admitted passing data on cargo and flight operations but denied involvement in espionage and received a sentence of one year and nine months probation.
Krah, previously an AfD and then non-attached MEP, testified as a witness, asserting he had no knowledge of Jian G.’s activities or membership in the Chinese Communist Party.
Separately, the Dresden Public Prosecutor’s office is investigating Krah for alleged bribery and money laundering linked to Chinese payments, after the Bundestag where he now sits lifted his parliamentary immunity.
The court’s ruling is not yet final, and it is unclear whether the defense will file an appeal.
