Prague court to hear first case of unauthorized activity for foreign power

A Prague court has accepted an indictment against a suspected Chinese intelligence operative who allegedly worked in Prague under journalistic cover, marking the first case in which a person will stand trial in the Czech Republic for unauthorized activity on behalf of a foreign power.

According to Seznam Zprávy, the accused worked in Prague as a correspondent for a Chinese newspaper affiliated with the ruling Chinese Communist Party. The outlet said he had operated in the Czech Republic for years, repeatedly receiving accreditation extensions from the government.

He conducted interviews with Czech and Slovak politicians and, according to Czech intelligence services cited by Seznam Zprávy, allegedly sought to gather information from them.

The suspect has been in custody since his arrest in January and faces up to five years in prison if convicted.