A soldier who led a white nationalist group has been charged with espionage, and is the first person to face such an accusation of threatening New Zealand’s security by giving information to another country or foreign organisation. The soldier, who was 27 years old when he was arrested at Linton Military Camp in December, now faces the possibility of 14 years in prison. READ MORE:* Arrested soldier continues to share white nationalist material* Soldier alleged to have traded military information was leader of white nationalist groupStuff previously revealed the soldier’s connections to Far-Right, white nationalist groups, leading authorities to question him after the March 15 terror attack. In the statement issued on Wednesday afternoon, the Defence Force said the director of military prosecutions had laid 17 charges against the soldier. A Defence Force spokeswoman confirmed it was the first occasion a soldier had been charged with espionage “in modern times”.

Source: Stuff November 25, 2020 01:56 UTC