TEHRAN, May 15 (MNA) – A Hong Kong permanent resident who is also a US citizen has been given a life term for espionage in China.

A 78-year-old US citizen was sentenced on Monday by a Chinese court to life imprisonment for spying, DW reported.

John Shing-wan Leung was a permanent resident of Hong Kong and also a United States passport holder.

The court said in a statement that Leung "was found guilty of espionage, sentenced to life imprisonment, deprived of political rights for life."

According to the Associated Press, Leung was detained on April 15, 2021 by the counterintelligence agency in the southeastern city of Suzhou.

AMK/PR