Prosecutors have dropped charges against Christopher Cash, 30, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, 33, who were accused of espionage on behalf of China. The decision has drawn strong condemnation from senior UK government officials.
Both men had denied the charges, which were brought under the Official Secrets Act. Beijing has previously dismissed the allegations as “malicious slander.”
The accusations centered on the alleged gathering and provision of information prejudicial to national security between December 28, 2021, and February 3, 2023.
Speaking outside the Old Bailey on Monday, following the cessation of legal proceedings, Mr. Cash expressed his “relief that justice has been served.”
He described the two years since his arrest as a “nightmare” and voiced his hope that “lessons are learned from this sorry episode.”
Prosecutor Tom Little KC informed the court that the prosecution would offer no evidence against the men, stating, “We simply cannot continue to prosecute this case.”
The Crown Prosecution Service concluded that the evidence gathered did not meet the threshold for a trial. The pair were scheduled to appear at Woolwich Crown Court starting October 6.
The Home Office expressed its “disappointment that they will not face trial given the seriousness of the allegations.”
The department added in a statement: “We will continue to use the full range of tools and powers to guard against malign activity.”
Downing Street echoed this sentiment, with the prime minister’s official spokesman describing the allegations as “gravely concerning” and stating, “It is extremely disappointing that these individuals will not face trial. Any attempt by a foreign power to infiltrate our Parliament or democracy is unacceptable.”
Mr. Berry, a teacher from Witney, Oxfordshire, and Mr. Cash, of Whitechapel, London, were arrested in March 2023 as part of a counter-terrorism police investigation.
They were accused of collecting information intended to be, or with the potential to be, directly or indirectly useful to an enemy.
Reports indicated that Mr. Cash had been involved with Parliament’s China Research Group (CRG).
He was understood to have had access to several Conservative MPs, including former security minister Tom Tugendhat and then-foreign affairs committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns.
Upon learning that no charges would be brought, Ms. Kearns addressed the House of Commons, where her comments are protected by parliamentary privilege, stating: “It remains unclear to me why Chris Cash and Christopher Berry cannot be prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act. The evidence shows a clear line between these two, the United Front Work Department and the politburo, the very top of the Chinese Communist Party.”
Defending Mr. Cash, Henry Blaxland KC stated that his client’s colleagues at the CRG had “expressed disbelief” at his arrest.
“We only hope that he will be able to rebuild his life,” he added.
Mrs. Justice Cheema-Grubb stated she was “quite satisfied” and entered not guilty verdicts for both men.
Following the initial charges, a Chinese embassy spokesperson stated that “the claim that China is suspected of ‘stealing British intelligence’ is completely fabricated.”
They urged the UK “to stop anti-China political manipulation and stop putting on such a self-staged political farce.”
The government has previously stated that Chinese spies were targeting UK officials across the political, defence, and business sectors as part of an increasingly sophisticated espionage operation.
In December, senior judges upheld a decision by MI5 to warn that an alleged Chinese agent, Christine Lee, had infiltrated Parliament and funded a Labour MP, among others.
That same month, Yang Tengbo was identified as a Chinese businessman who had been banned from the UK for alleged espionage.
Both Ms. Lee and Mr. Yang have denied the accusations against them.