Milan Prosecutors Close Probe Into China-Linked Surveillance
Ten suspects, eight of them Chinese nationals, were told that the investigation into surveillance of dissident artist Li Ying is complete.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Corruption
Milan prosecutors on October 23 notified 10 suspects that their investigation into a China-linked network surveilling dissident Li Ying was complete. The suspects include eight Chinese nationals and two Italian citizens.
Why it matters
The case targets alleged efforts to stop a Chinese dissident from communicating and expressing herself in Europe, raising questions about foreign interference on Italian soil. Li Ying has lived in Italy since 2015 and moved repeatedly between Milan and Turin under threat.
Prosecutors have informed 10 suspects, eight Chinese nationals and two Italian citizens, that the investigation is complete, and the offense of belonging to a criminal association carries up to seven years in jail under Italian law. Whether charges will proceed to trial has not been stated.
The players
Li Ying
An artist known as Teacher Li who has lived in Italy since 2015 and runs an X account with 2.2 million followers, and who was the target of the alleged surveillance.
Milan prosecutors
The Milan prosecutor's office that conducted the investigation and notified the 10 suspects that the probe had concluded.
The details
Suspects repeatedly visited homes where Li Ying was thought to live, photographed entrances and monitored buildings from nearby cafes, and one alleged organiser recruited Chinese nationals to follow her. One suspect offered someone €100 a day to help locate her, and the probe began after she filmed a man spray-painting 'stupro' near her Turin flat in October 2024.
Timeline
October 2024: A man spray-painted 'stupro' next to Li Ying's Turin flat, prompting the investigation.
October 23, 2026: Milan prosecutors notified 10 suspects that the investigation was complete.
November 6, 2026: Reuters reported the completed investigation and suspect notifications.
Legal Context
The case mirrors Western prosecutions of alleged Chinese state-linked surveillance of diaspora critics abroad, including the overseas police station investigations in several countries. It shows European courts increasingly treating transnational intimidation of dissidents as a criminal association matter rather than a purely diplomatic one.
Residents and activists abroad may face heightened concern about being monitored or intimidated by foreign-linked networks, which can affect how people in exile communicate publicly. The case also signals that investigators may pursue such activity under existing criminal association laws.
The takeaway
Protecting freedom of expression can depend on whether authorities treat foreign-directed intimidation as a prosecutable crime. Readers following similar cases can watch how courts define criminal association when the targets live abroad.
Further reading
Explore more on Corruption cases shaping international justice.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Reuters.
