UK Drops Espionage Charges Against Two Men Accused of Spying for China

Prosecutors have discontinued charges against Christopher Cash, 30, and Christopher Berry, 33, who were accused of espionage for China under the Official Secrets Act. The two men had denied allegations of gathering and providing information prejudicial to the safety and interests of the state between December 2021 and February 2023.

The pair were scheduled to stand trial at Woolwich Crown Court on 6 October. However, at a hearing at the Old Bailey, prosecutor Tom Little stated that the evidential stage of the case was no longer met, leading to the decision to offer no evidence against the men.

Mr. Cash, a parliamentary researcher from Whitechapel, London, was associated with senior Conservative politicians, including former security minister Tom Tugendhat and Alicia Kearns, chairwoman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. Mr. Berry, a teacher from Witney, Oxfordshire, had worked in various teaching positions in China since September 2015.

The Chinese Embassy previously described the allegations as "completely fabricated" and "malicious slander," urging the UK to "stop anti-China political manipulation."

Mrs. Justice Cheema-Grubb entered not guilty verdicts for both men, concluding the high-profile espionage case that had drawn significant attention.