Key facts
- Milan prosecutors told 10 suspects on October 23 their investigation was complete, a document seen by Reuters shows.
- Eight of the suspects are Chinese nationals and two are Italian citizens, per the document.
- Prosecutors say one suspect gathered more than 4,000 photographs and 35 videos during stakeouts.
- Two alleged ringleaders are accused of acting for Chinese police and contacting Chinese diplomats and the United Front Work Department.
- Four suspects face a criminal association charge carrying up to seven years in jail under Italian law.
- China's Foreign Ministry said there is no such thing as transnational repression and that China is governed by the rule of law.
Milan prosecutors have concluded an investigation into a network they say is linked to Chinese authorities and spent years tracking, intimidating and harassing Li Ying, a prominent Italy-based critic of Beijing, according to a document seen by Reuters. The prosecutors informed 10 suspects, eight Chinese nationals and two Italian citizens, on October 23 that the probe was complete and gave them a final chance to respond before a possible trial.
Li, known as "Teacher Li", has lived in Italy since 2015 and runs the @whyyoutouzhele X account, which has 2.2 million followers and carries videos, photographs and accounts sent by people inside China. He rose to prominence during protests against China's COVID-19 controls in 2022. Li said he, his family and followers had been subjected "to relentless harassment and threats" for years, and told Reuters: "I am therefore glad to see this case move forward and most grateful to the investigators."
The investigation began after Li filmed through his door peephole a man spray-painting "stupro", Italian for "rape", on a wall next to his flat in Turin in October 2024. Prosecutors say the suspects repeatedly visited homes where Li was thought to live, photographed entrances, watched buildings from nearby cafes, searched rubbish bins, questioned residents and tracked his movements. One suspect amassed more than 4,000 photographs and 35 videos connected to the stakeouts, they say.
Li also received death threats by social media and email, including messages saying "I will cut off your head" and "we will punish you", with images of assault rifles, pistols and a bayonet, the case documents show. Two alleged ringleaders are accused of acting on behalf of Chinese police while in contact with Chinese diplomats and members of the United Front Work Department. The pair and two others are accused of belonging to a criminal association aimed at preventing Chinese dissidents from communicating and exercising their right to freedom of expression, a charge carrying up to seven years in jail under Italian law.
One of the four alleged organizers recruited Chinese nationals to follow Li, and another suspect offered someone €100 ($113) a day to help locate him, the case files show. Prosecutors say personal information about Li was published online and pressure was exerted on family and friends in China, and that the campaign forced him to change homes repeatedly between Milan and Turin.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said China was governed by the rule of law. "There is no such thing as 'transnational repression'," a spokesperson said, adding that China attached "great importance to safeguarding the safety and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens abroad". The Ministry of Public Security did not respond to queries.
The case is part of growing scrutiny in Italy of suspected Chinese efforts to monitor critics of Beijing. Italian police said in February that cyberattacks originating from China had targeted the Interior Ministry, seeking to locate Chinese dissidents and identify officers investigating Chinese crime groups. China's Foreign Ministry said at the time Beijing actively opposed hacking and rejected "disinformation" on the issue. A month later, Italian media reported that Rome had ordered the expulsion of eight Chinese nationals suspected of spying on dissidents for the Chinese government; the Interior Ministry declined to comment at the time.