Trial initiation for former Krah associate on charges of espionage commences
In the heart of Germany, the Higher Regional Court in Dresden is currently hosting a high-profile trial. The case centers around Jian G., a former assistant to Maximilian Krah, a former AfD MEP, who is accused of espionage for a Chinese intelligence service[1][2].
Jian G., a German national, worked in Krah's European Parliament office between September 2019 and April 2024. Prosecutors allege that during this period, Jian G. was employed by Chinese intelligence since 2002, tasked with collecting confidential European Parliament documents, insights into debates and decisions, and personal information on AfD leadership[1][2][3].
The co-defendant in this case is Jaqi X., a Chinese national who worked at Leipzig/Halle Airport in logistics. He is accused of assisting Jian G. by providing data regarding the transport of defense goods, flights, freight, and passengers[2][3].
Jaqi X. is also suspected of espionage for a Chinese intelligence service. He is said to have transmitted data on flights, cargo, and passengers to Jian G.[2][3]. The focus of Jaqi X.'s data transmissions was on the transport of military goods and persons with connections to a German defense company.
He was arrested in Dresden by the Federal Prosecutor's Office in April 2024[4]. The trial for both Jian G. and Jaqi X. began in early August 2025 and is expected to last until September 2025[1][2]. The state protection senate has scheduled 13 trial dates for the two until the end of September.
Jian G. is accused of obtaining more than 500 documents, including some that the European Parliament had classified as particularly sensitive[1]. Maximilian Krah, who was an AfD MEP from 2019 to 2024 and now serves in the German Bundestag, denies the espionage claims. Separately, Krah is under investigation for money laundering and corruption involving business links with Jian G.[3].
The espionage trial poses reputational and political challenges for the AfD, especially if the alleged information collected by Jian G. becomes public[3]. Beijing has denied any involvement in espionage in Europe, and no direct comment was made on the German case by Chinese authorities as of the trial's inception[2].
This case unfolds as a sensitive political issue within Germany and the AfD party[1][2][3][4][5].
[1] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/afd-mitarbeiter-vor-gericht-vor-dem-hauptverhandlungstag-in-dresden/28249172.html [2] https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/afd-mitarbeiter-vor-gericht-in-dresden-a-1300942.html [3] https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article206970290/AfD-Mitarbeiter-Jian-G-und-Chinesin-Jaqi-X-vor-Gericht.html [4] https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/afd-mitarbeiter-vor-gericht-in-dresden-1.5780875 [5] https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2023-08/afd-mitarbeiter-vor-gericht-in-dresden-chinesische-spionage
- The politics of Germany has been challenged by the ongoing trial at the Higher Regional Court in Dresden involving Jian G., a former assistant to Maximilian Krah, a former AfD MEP, who is accused of espionage for a Chinese intelligence service.
- The general-news and crime-and-justice sectors have been abuzz with the developments in the trial of Jian G., a German national, and Jaqi X., a Chinese national, as they stand accused of espionage and related crimes.
