The German Federal Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday searched the offices of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) politician Maximilian Krah and his former employee Jian G. in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Officials said the search was connected to proceedings against G., who is suspected of spying for China.

What we know about the searches

Krah and G. were having their offices searched "on the basis of orders issued by the investigating judge of the Federal Court of Justice and a European Investigation Order," the prosecutors said in a statement.

German national G. has worked for Krah since his election to the European Union legislature in 2019. Prosecutors accuse him of working for a Chinese intelligence service and of passing on information about negotiations and decisions in the European Parliament.

"The measures are being taken in the proceedings against Jian G. because of the suspicion of secret service agent activity," the German prosecutors said. They added that Krah's office was being searched in his capacity as a witness and that he was not a suspect.

Documents in Krah's office are protected under his immunity as a member of the parliament. However, this protection can be lifted by the legislature at the request of authorities.

The parliament said it had worked with national authorities to allow the search. A spokesman for Belgian prosecutors said they had given the go-ahead after a request from German authorities.

German police arrested G. on suspicion of espionage on April 22. Krah fired G. soon after the allegations came to light.

German authorities last month arrested three other people suspected of spying for China and arranging to forward information
on technology with potential military uses to one of Beijing's intelligence agents.

rc/wmr (dpa, AFP)

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