After a week-long trial, the jury found Lu guilty of acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government and obstructing justice by destroying evidence connected to the investigation. Prosecutors say he and his co-defendant deleted messages exchanged with a Chinese official after learning the FBI had launched a probe into the operation.
The case has attracted worldwide attention because rights organizations claim similar outposts exist in dozens of countries across the globe. Reports suggest more than 100 of these alleged “service stations” have been identified in over 50 countries. Critics accuse Beijing of using them to pressure Chinese nationals overseas and track critics of the government.
Chinese authorities have repeatedly denied the accusations, insisting that the locations were simply administrative service centers intended to help citizens abroad with paperwork, driver’s license renewals, and pandemic-related assistance.
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