Two men jailed in UK over Hong Kong-linked spying case
A London court sentenced the men after convictions tied to surveillance of pro-democracy campaigners living in Britain.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
Two men have been jailed in Britain after a court found they spied on Hong Kong pro-democracy figures living in the United Kingdom, Reuters reported. The case matters because prosecutors said the activity targeted dissidents who had sought safety under British law.
Chung Biu “Bill” Yuen, 66, and Chi Leung “Peter” Wai, 41, were sentenced Thursday at London’s Old Bailey, according to Reuters. Both men are dual Chinese and British nationals, and Wai worked for the UK Border Force.
The men were convicted last month of assisting a foreign intelligence service by carrying out surveillance between December 2023 and May 2024, Reuters reported. The operation was described as being on behalf of Hong Kong and, ultimately, China.
Sentences handed down at the Old Bailey
Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb sentenced Wai to 10 years in prison and Yuen to eight years, Reuters reported. Wai was also convicted of using his Border Force position to search the UK interior ministry’s computer database for information about targets.
Cheema-Grubb told the court that the UK faces “persistent, adaptive, and often clandestine interference by foreign state actors and those acting on their behalf,” according to Reuters. She said foreign intelligence work now can include surveillance, information gathering, intimidation and the targeting of dissidents, not only attempts to obtain military or government secrets.
Reuters reported that Yuen and Wai are believed to be the first people convicted in the UK of spying for China. Both men had denied the allegations.
Police say campaigners were targeted
Commander Helen Flanagan, who leads counterterrorism policing in London, said the conduct was “truly chilling,” Reuters reported. She said the men targeted people in Britain who were pro-democracy campaigners protesting against the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities.
The Chinese embassy in London rejected the case, calling it “nothing but a political move of abusing the law,” according to Reuters.
Wai and Yuen were arrested after what Reuters described as a failed attempt to seize former Hong Kong resident Monica Kwong from her flat in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, on May 1, 2024.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.