China laid more than 1,400 national security charges since 2018, top prosecutor’s office reveals in a first
- Disclosure by Supreme People’s Procuratorate offers rare glimpse into scale of charges mainly relating to espionage and subversion
- However, percentage of those indicted of such crimes remains a fraction of total criminal indictments, SPP deputy director Sun Qian clarifies
More than 1,400 charges related to endangering state security were laid in the last five years, China’s top prosecutorial agency said on Wednesday, offering a rare glimpse into the scale of such indictments.
Preventing and identifying acts that endanger national and public security was the top priority of prosecutors, SPP deputy director Sun Qian said in announcing the case data for 2018-2022.
Another 435,000 cases relating to endangering public security were tried in the same period, he added.
“In terms of prosecutions against endangering national security and public security, [the prosecutors aim to] severely punish crimes of infiltration, subversion and secession and we focus on enhancing our ability to prevent and spot these crimes,” Sun said in Beijing.
However, the percentage of those indicted of such crimes remained relatively low, he clarified.
Defendants charged with endangering national security made up just 0.03 per cent of total criminal indictments in the past five years, Sun said. Those charged with endangering public security represented 6.3 per cent.
However, the total number of criminal prosecutions rose by 9.5 per cent from the previous five years, to 5.83 million cases between 2018 and 2022, he added.
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Endangering state security is a charge that covers any activities the authorities consider subversive, separatist or that could overthrow the communist authorities.
It also includes spying for other countries and stealing state secrets.
Convicted defendants face three to 10 years in jail for less serious offences, but could receive a life sentence or even the death penalty for more grievous crimes.
Endangering public safety is also a broadly defined charge covering activities considered as posing a risk to the public or public facilities. The charge has been used in the past to indict protesters involved in street demonstrations.
Over 11,000 people were also indicted for offering bribes, Sun said.
Also, while the number of indictments for serious violent crimes had dropped by more than a quarter compared to the previous five-year period, there had been a significant rise in the number of cybercrimes.
As many as 129,000 people were accused of assisting cybercrimes last year alone, while over 30,000 were charged with running cyber scams.
About 185,000 people were charged with endangering the safety of the economy or financial sector by using financial securities, up by nearly 30 per cent from the previous corresponding period.
