A high-profile espionage case involving two men accused of spying for China collapsed after prosecutors could not obtain government evidence classifying China as a national security threat, the UK’s director of public prosecutions (DPP) said.

Charges against Christopher Cash, 30, and Christopher Berry, 33—both of whom deny the allegations—were dropped last month, drawing criticism from ministers and MPs. DPP Stephen Parkinson said the Crown Prosecution Service sought additional government evidence for months, but witness statements failed to meet the legal threshold required for prosecution under the Official Secrets Act.

The men had been accused of passing sensitive information between December 2021 and February 2023. Under the law, espionage convictions require proof that the information was useful to an enemy, defined in a precedent earlier this year as a nation deemed a threat to UK national security.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer noted the government could only rely on prior assessments, which described China as an “epoch-defining challenge.” Former officials and security experts criticized the collapse, calling it a “muddle” and highlighting concerns over the government’s handling of national security prosecutions.

Source: BBC