Following a counterterrorism investigation, Christopher Cash, 29, a former parliamentary researcher from Whitechapel, London, was prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act.
Under the same act, Christopher Berry, 32, of Witney, Oxfordshire, was also accused.
The individuals are accused of gathering, recording, and publishing material “for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state” and that could be “directly or indirectly, useful to an enemy” between December 2021 and February 2023.
Cash has connections to prominent Conservative lawmakers, such as Alicia Kearns, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and previously worked for the China Research Group in parliament.
Speaking on behalf of China, Ms. Kearns stated: “With regard to the Crown Prosecution’s announcement this afternoon that two men will be charged with espionage offenses: Since this case is currently under appeal, it is imperative that neither I nor anyone else say anything that could jeopardize a criminal trial involving a national security issue.
