Italian authorities order expulsion of Chinese agents responsible for spying on dissidents
In a rare move, Italian authorities have issued expulsion orders for eight Chinese nationals suspected of spying on political dissidents on behalf of the Chinese government.
The orders by the Interior Ministry came after officials found that the Chinese agents had sought to locate regime critics living in the country in order to intimidate and harass them, raising “national security” concerns, according to Italian daily Il Foglio.
Three of the suspects were repatriated immediately, while one is currently detained in Rome pending expulsion procedures, the media report said. The other four had already left Italy.
The case marks the first time Italy has ordered an expulsion specifically on transnational repression grounds, Laura Harth, a human rights advocate with Safeguard Defenders, told the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. “I’m pleasantly surprised that we finally see action,” Harth said.
Other countries have actually prosecuted Chinese nationals for spying on dissidents residing on their territory. Another such case is currently pending in the United Kingdom.
While Italian authorities didn’t prosecute the latest suspects, the case shows Italian authorities are paying attention, Harth said.
“There is clear concern and attention within the specialized police on this issue,” Harth said. “However, I do think we still have an issue of political motivation to actually deal with this.”
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