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The General Prosecutor’s Office in Dresden has officially requested the lifting of parliamentary immunity for AfD Bundestag member Maximilian Krah. The move comes amid serious allegations of bribery and money laundering tied to suspected Chinese intelligence operations. Krah, a former member of the European Parliament and one of the Alternative für Deutschland party’s most prominent figures, denies any wrongdoing and claims the investigation is politically driven.
According to prosecutors, the case involves payments allegedly funneled to Krah through his work as a lawyer. Investigators are probing whether invoices submitted for legal services were actually used to disguise illicit payments from Chinese sources. Krah insists the payments came from a German-registered company and rejects any accusations of foreign influence.
Focus of Investigation: Payments Linked to Former Staffer Jian G.
The investigation stems from a larger espionage case involving Krah’s former parliamentary aide, Jian G., a German citizen of Chinese descent who worked in Krah’s Brussels office from 2019 until his arrest in April 2024. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office has charged Jian G. with carrying out intelligence activities on behalf of a Chinese government agency. He allegedly spied on Chinese dissidents living in Germany, gathered sensitive information about European Parliament proceedings, and passed classified documents to Beijing.
Jian G. had been under surveillance by German intelligence services for more than a year. During this time, he reportedly admitted to a long-term relationship with Chinese intelligence, allegedly stretching back two decades. In intercepted communications, he claimed to have arranged over €50,000 in payments to Krah. Prosecutors suspect these payments were laundered through legal retainers issued by Krah’s law firm.
Political Fallout and Ongoing Investigations
The allegations come at a sensitive time for the AfD, a party already facing intense public and legal scrutiny over its alleged ties to authoritarian regimes. Krah, who served as the AfD’s lead candidate in the 2024 European elections, was excluded from the right-wing EU parliamentary group “Europe of Sovereign Nations” after controversial remarks about the Nazi SS sparked international backlash. Following this internal rift, he ran for and secured a seat in the German Bundestag.
Within the party, reactions to the ongoing scandal remain muted. The AfD parliamentary group has declined to comment, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation and the lack of an official decision from the Bundestag regarding the immunity waiver. Krah, however, has remained vocal, calling the proceedings a smear campaign aimed at damaging his reputation.
“I have committed no crime,” he stated on the platform X, formerly Twitter. “These accusations are absurd and politically motivated. This is about discrediting me.”
Link to Broader Espionage Network Involving Leipzig Airport
The charges against Krah are part of a wider pattern of suspected Chinese espionage in Germany. In September 2024, another suspect—a woman working for a logistics firm at Leipzig/Halle Airport—was arrested. Authorities believe she passed information about arms shipments and passenger data to Chinese handlers, potentially exposing German defense operations. She, too, is being prosecuted for espionage.
The connection between her case and that of Jian G. is still under investigation, but prosecutors suggest both operated within the same network. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office has labeled the affair “one of the most serious cases of intelligence activity on German soil in recent years.”
A History of Controversial Foreign Ties
Krah has long been accused of being sympathetic to authoritarian governments. He has visited both China and Russia multiple times, maintains ties with individuals close to Vladimir Putin, and has appeared on “Voice of Europe,” a now-banned media platform widely considered a pro-Kremlin propaganda outlet. The site was recently investigated for allegedly transferring money to EU politicians with pro-Russian stances.
While the current case focuses on suspected Chinese influence, authorities confirmed that a separate preliminary investigation related to potential Russian payments to Krah is still ongoing. No formal charges have been filed in that matter.
Next Steps: Bundestag to Decide on Immunity
The request to lift Krah’s immunity is a prerequisite for any formal prosecution. Under German law, members of parliament are shielded from criminal proceedings without prior approval from the legislative body. If the Bundestag agrees to waive his immunity, formal charges could follow depending on the outcome of the ongoing investigation.
Until that decision is made, Krah remains a sitting member of parliament and insists on his innocence. He continues to portray himself as the target of a politically motivated campaign, drawing parallels to other controversial figures facing legal pressure in the wake of alleged foreign entanglements.
As Germany continues to reckon with its vulnerability to foreign interference, the unfolding case against Maximilian Krah is likely to remain at the center of both legal proceedings and political debate in the months ahead.
