London (Parliament News) – Two men in the UK, including a parliamentary researcher, are charged with espionage for allegedly providing prejudicial information to China. They are set to appear in court on Friday.
A parliamentary researcher who was apprehended last year on suspicion of spying for China has been indicted along with another man with espionage offences. Christopher Cash, 29, who had credentials to parliament through his work for an organisation set up by Conservative MPs, is to occur in court on Friday after he and Christopher Berry, 32, were arrested under the Official Secrets Act.
According to the Guardian, the men are blamed for providing prejudicial information to a foreign state, China, the Crown Prosecution Service stated in a statement on Monday.
Police apprehended the two men on 13 March 2023 at addresses in Oxfordshire and Edinburgh as part of an inquiry. They were subsequently discharged on bail and will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Friday.
What are the accusations against Christopher Cash?
Cash, of Whitechapel, east London, is indicted of obtaining, collecting, recording, printing or communicating notes, documents or information “estimated to be, might be, or were planned to be, directly or indirectly, reasonable to an enemy” between 20 January 2022 and 3 February 2023.
What charges does Christopher Berry face?
Berry, of Witney in Oxfordshire, is charged with committing the same offence – under section 1(1)(c) of the Official Secrets Act 1911 – between 28 December 2021 and 3 February 2023.
The foreign nation to which the above charges link is China, the Metropolitan police said in a statement.
How complex was the investigation into espionage?
Commander Dominic Murphy, the head of the counter-terrorism command, stated: “This has been an extremely complex investigation into what are very serious allegations. We’ve worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service as our investigation has progressed and this has led to the two men being charged today.
“We’re aware there has been a degree of public and media interest in this case, but we would ask others to refrain from any further comment or speculation so that the criminal justice process can now run its course,” he added.
What is China’s response to the charges?
China’s embassy in the UK has disregarded the charges as a “self-staged political farce”.
An embassy spokesperson stated: “The Chinese embassy made [a] relevant response on 10 September 2023.
“I would like to reaffirm that the claim that China is suspected of ‘stealing British intelligence’ is completely fabricated and nothing but malicious slander. “We firmly oppose it and urge the UK side to stop anti-China political manipulation and stop putting on such self-staged political farce.”
What organizations were Christopher Cash affiliated with?
Cash had been operating for the China Research Group, an organisation co-founded by Tom Tugendhat, now the security minister. He reportedly performed for the British Council in the Chinese city of Hangzhou for two years and has a master’s degree from the Lau China Institute, a Centre for the Study of China, at King’s College London.
The China Research Group was developed by MPs with the stated aim of “promoting fresh considering about how Britain should respond to the rise of China”.
Nick Price, the director of the CPS special crime and counter-terrorism division, said it had “authorised the Metropolitan police to charge two men with espionage offences”.