Trial for alleged spying involving ex-AfD politician Krah
In Dresden, Germany, the trial of Jian G., a former aide to AfD politician Maximilian Krah, began on August 5, 2025. Jian G. is accused of spying for China since 2002, including during his time working for Krah in the European Parliament from 2019 to 2024.
Prosecutors allege that Jian G. passed on over 500 sensitive documents and provided intelligence on EU parliamentary negotiations, AfD leadership, and Chinese dissidents in Germany. A second defendant, Jaqi X., is also on trial, accused of assisting by providing information related to military shipments and airport activities.
From September 2019 to his arrest in April 2024, Jian G. collected information and passed on partly confidential documents to Chinese authorities while working in Krah's office. The defendant was an assistant in Maximilian Krah's office, primarily concerned with foreign trade, including maintaining relations with China.
Jian G.'s lawyer claims that his client's activities were not directed at passing on information and he had never agreed to do so. However, it is alleged that Jian G. showed particular interest in military-related information and even inquired about a charter flight's passenger list that was supposed to transport military vehicles, causing him concerns about personal consequences.
The court rejected an application by Jian G.'s defense attorney to exclude evidence obtained from the surveillance of his client from the trial. Jaqi X. claims not to know about any possible agent activity by the Krah employee for the Chinese intelligence service. However, she admitted to passing on information to Jian G. because she thought it was good for improving relations between China and Germany and with the AfD party.
Maximilian Krah, who is now an AfD member of the German Bundestag, has been called as a witness. He denies discussing internal party matters with Jian G. and rejects accusations of wrongdoing, asserting they are politically motivated. Krah is also under investigation for alleged money laundering and corruption related to payments he allegedly received from companies linked to Jian G.
The trial is expected to last until the end of September 2025. The trial against the man and the co-defendant is scheduled to have 13 trial dates by the end of September. This espionage case could be highly embarrassing for the AfD, as the accused reportedly collected detailed intelligence on the party's leadership and strategy. The trial highlights concerns about Chinese intelligence activities targeting German political institutions and figures.
In other news from Hamm, Hamm focuses on barrier-free playgrounds, the Hamm Airport Festival was a success despite the rain, and there was a fire at the Uentroper harbor in Hamm.
In the trial's course, politics and war-and-conflicts are key topics, with Jian G., a former aide to AfD politician Maximilian Krah, standing accused of spying for China by providing sensitive documents related to EU parliamentary negotiations, AfD leadership, and Chinese dissidents in Germany. General news also covers crime-and-justice as a second defendant, Jaqi X., is on trial for allegedly assisting Jian G. by providing information related to military shipments and airport activities.
