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LONDON: A former British marine charged with spying for Hong Kong’s intelligence service has died, according to a police statement released Tuesday. The man, identified as Matthew Trickett, was found dead in a park in Maidenhead, a town west of London, on Sunday. Trickett was one of three men charged last week under Britain’s National Security Act with assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service, and their case was expected to return to court Friday.
Hong Kong is a former British colony and a special administrative region of China, and tensions between London and Beijing have been ratcheting up in recent months as the British govt has become increasingly vocal over allegations of Chinese espionage. In the wake of the charges last week, Britain summoned the Chinese ambassador for a reprimand.
Trickett, 37, who was a British immigration enforcement officer and a former royal marine, was also director of a private security firm.
According to police, a member of the public alerted authorities to a situation in Grenfell Park. Trickett, who was from the area, was found and, despite efforts of emergency responders, was pronounced dead at the site. “An investigation is ongoing into the death, which is currently being treated as unexplained,” police said. nyt
China frees journo jailed for Covid reporting
Zhang Zhan, a citizen journalist, was released from prison after serving four years for charges related to reporting on the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China, according to a video statement she released Tuesday, eight days after her sentence ended, though there are concerns about how much freedom of movement she has. Zhang was sentenced to prison on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a vaguely defined charge often used in political cases, and served her full term. In a short video, Zhang said she was taken by police to her brother’s home on May 13, the day she finished her sentence. “I want to thank everyone for their help and concern,” she is heard saying in a soft voice. (AP)
Hong Kong is a former British colony and a special administrative region of China, and tensions between London and Beijing have been ratcheting up in recent months as the British govt has become increasingly vocal over allegations of Chinese espionage. In the wake of the charges last week, Britain summoned the Chinese ambassador for a reprimand.
Trickett, 37, who was a British immigration enforcement officer and a former royal marine, was also director of a private security firm.
According to police, a member of the public alerted authorities to a situation in Grenfell Park. Trickett, who was from the area, was found and, despite efforts of emergency responders, was pronounced dead at the site. “An investigation is ongoing into the death, which is currently being treated as unexplained,” police said. nyt
China frees journo jailed for Covid reporting
Zhang Zhan, a citizen journalist, was released from prison after serving four years for charges related to reporting on the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China, according to a video statement she released Tuesday, eight days after her sentence ended, though there are concerns about how much freedom of movement she has. Zhang was sentenced to prison on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a vaguely defined charge often used in political cases, and served her full term. In a short video, Zhang said she was taken by police to her brother’s home on May 13, the day she finished her sentence. “I want to thank everyone for their help and concern,” she is heard saying in a soft voice. (AP)
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