Two men charged with spying for China have appeared in court in central London.
Christopher Cash, 29, and Christopher Berry, 32, spoke only to confirm their names and addresses when they appeared at Westminster magistrates court on Friday.
The pair were arrested in March last year. This week the Crown Prosecution Service formally announced charges, accusing them of breaching the Official Secrets Act on behalf of China.
Berry and Cash are accused of providing prejudicial information to Beijing. Berry is accused of committing the offence between December 2021 and February 2023, while Cash is accused of committing the offence between January 2022 and December 2023. Cash has previously said that he was “completely innocent”.
The men have been released on bail. As a term of Cash’s bail conditions, he is not allowed to enter the parliamentary estate or contact any parliamentarians apart from his local MP on constituency matters.
A Chinese embassy spokesperson said allegations of Chinese espionage in the UK were “completely fabricated” and “malicious slander”.
Berry and Cash will appear at the Old Bailey on 10 May.
