Historic trial begins for Chinese national accused of journalist-cover espionage

The National Counter-Terrorism, Extremism and Cybercrime Centre, in cooperation with the Security Information Service, launched an inquiry that led to the arrest of a Chinese national in January and his subsequent detention. Authorities allege that his press accreditation served only as a cover for espionage activities, focusing on the Visegrád Four region and extracting information from political and academic networks.

Among his contacts was former European Parliament member Jan Zahradil, who provided an interview and drafted an analysis at the suspect's request before cutting ties in summer 2024 after informal security warnings. The chief of the Security Information Service, Michal Koudelka, highlighted the rarity of such prosecutions, noting that only a few countries have pursued similar cases. The main hearing is scheduled for three days, from 14 to 16 October, and a guilty verdict could result in a prison term of up to five years and forced removal from the country.