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German Spy Chief Arrested on Espionage Charges
Confirmed
In Short: Former German spy chief August Hanning was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of espionage and treason, according to federal prosecutors.
Former German spy chief August Hanning was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of espionage and treason, according to federal prosecutors. Hanning, who ran Germany’s BND intelligence agency from 1998 to 2005, is accused of attempting to pass sensitive information to foreign intelligence services.
Hanning's former chief of staff, identified only as Manfred D., was also arrested. Manfred D. is charged with aiding and abetting attempted treason and espionage. Prosecutors allege that Hanning used classified intelligence to draft an analysis for a foreign intelligence service officer.
The arrests came after an investigation revealed that Manfred D. provided Hanning with approximately 2,000 documents containing classified information over the years. This information was allegedly used exclusively by the Federal Intelligence Service for internal purposes.
Marc Henrichmann, chairman of the German parliament's intelligence oversight committee, emphasized that Germany would not tolerate the betrayal of secrets. He stated that anyone who allies themselves with the enemies of liberal democracy would be found out.
Hanning served as the BND's chief from 1998 to 2005 and later worked as state secretary at the Federal Interior Ministry until 2009. Manfred D. served as chief of staff to Hanning's successors at the BND from 2012 to 2026.
The arrests were made at Hanning's home in Nordwalde near the western German city of Münster. The investigation began after a separate case involving German steakhouse heiress Christina Block.
Prosecutors say the two men allegedly came up with their arrangement in 2010, and that Hanning used classified intelligence to draft an analysis for an officer of a foreign intelligence service.
The case has been described as the 'biggest espionage scandal of the century unfolding in real time.'
What's confirmed
- BERLIN: Germany’s former foreign spy chief was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of espionage, accused of seeking to pass sensitive information to overseas intelligence services, prosecutors said.
- August Hanning, who ran Germany’s BND intelligence agency between 1998 and 2005, is suspected of charges including “attempted treason” and “espionage”, according to a statement from federal prosecutors.
- Hanning’s former chief of staff, partially named as Manfred D., was also arrested on suspicion of “aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage”.
- Hanning is also accused of being “in close contact with a representative of another foreign intelligence service, to whom he passed on political information, partially based on material provided by Manfred D., for several years”.
- "The current findings suggest that, over the years, Manfred D provided Hanning with approximately 2,000 documents, many of which contained classified information to be used exclusively by the Federal Intelligence Service for internal purposes," the statement says.
What's still developing
- "Whoever allies themselves with the enemies of our liberal democracy will be found out," he said, adding that Hanning's alleged behaviour would represent "trampling his official duties underfoot".
- According to a statement from the prosecutor's office, he is facing charges including alleged espionage, disclosure of state secrets, attempted treason, and working as a secret service agent.