2 Britons accused of spying for China, to face trial for breaching UK secrets act
- Christopher Cash, 29, and Christopher Berry, 32, were charged last month with providing prejudicial information to China in breach of the Official Secrets Act
- In a speech last month, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Chinese state-affiliated actors conducted ‘malicious cyber campaigns’ against British lawmakers
Two Britons, including a former researcher for a prominent British lawmaker in the governing Conservative Party, were told on Friday they would go on trial next year accused of spying for China.
The men, ex-researcher Christopher Cash, 29, and Christopher Berry, 32, were charged last month with providing prejudicial information to China in breach of the Official Secrets Act.
Cash and Berry, who have not yet entered a plea, appeared for a brief hearing at London’s Old Bailey Court on Friday, where they spoke only to confirm their names and date of birth.
They were told their trial would take place in the spring or summer of next year, and both were released on bail until a hearing on October 4.
Cash previously worked at the UK parliament as a researcher, where he had contact with senior Conservative members of parliament.
He is accused of having “obtained, collected, recorded, published or communicated to any other person articles, notes, documents or information which were calculated to be, might be, or were intended to be, directly or indirectly, useful to an enemy”.