China said Friday that it had sentenced a British citizen to five years in prison for espionage, a case that dates back several years but only became public knowledge this week.
A court in Beijing convicted him in the first instance in 2022 of “illegally obtaining and transmitting intelligence information” on behalf of actors located “outside the borders” of mainland China, as Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a briefing by the Chinese Foreign Ministry reported to regular press.
He said the verdict was upheld on appeal last September.
The American newspaper “Wall Street Journal” first mentioned the case of British businessman Ian Stones in an article on Thursday.
The newspaper claims, based on statements from his family and other sources, that he “disappeared” in 2018 after working in China for several decades.
When interviewed for this article on Friday, Wang Wenbin assured that the court had judged the businessman in “strict accordance with the law” and “fully” guaranteed the defendant's rights.
The Chinese diplomatic spokesman said British officials could visit Ian Stones and attend his trial.
“China is a constitutional state,” said Wang Wenbin.
“The judicial organs strictly ensure that cases are handled in accordance with the law and protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese and foreign parties,” he stressed.