This doesn’t make sense to me. Isn’t all COVID research suppose to be public in the interest of the whole planet. I find it strange that a country would have unique information about that virus and not share it. It would be in their own interest. I mean if the virus spreads in one country it would affect the other one as well. Unless that research has something that one country would be ashamed about revealing. It is also possible that some entity intends to profit from that virus. In that case, that should be also punishable.
I understand that they might be spying and they may have stolen other information. If they get caught, it is fair game to get punished. On all sides. Why add the COVID dimension to it?
>> “More recently, the prosecutors accused the hackers of targeting the networks of over a dozen U.S. companies in Maryland, Massachusetts and California developing vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. “