Chinese citizen denies spying charges at Prague trial

Chinese citizen Yang Yiming denied charges of spying for Chinese intelligence through his lawyer at Prague’s Municipal Court on Wednesday. He is the first person prosecuted in Czechia for unauthorised activity on behalf of a foreign power and faces up to five years in prison. His defence says he conducted ordinary journalism and that prosecutors have identified no concrete threat to Czech interests. Prosecutors allege he used journalistic cover to gather political and economic intelligence, adding that some evidence is classified. The court excluded the public during his questioning and the reading of certain documents. The trial is scheduled until Friday.