Arrest of former BND chief August Hanning on espionage and high treason charges
August Hanning, former director of German foreign intelligence, has been arrested on espionage charges. Approximately 2,000 classified documents are suspected to have been transmitted to foreign powers.
Former BND chief arrested for selling state secrets to foreign intelligence services
August Hanning, who headed the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) from 1998 to 2005, was arrested on Tuesday alongside another former high-ranking German intelligence official, according to the federal prosecutor's office. As reported by Le Temps, the two men are suspected of espionage on behalf of foreign powers — a matter that strikes hard at an agency already under pressure facing Russian threats.
Hanning's former chief of staff, identified only by the name Manfred D., is suspected of having transmitted to his former boss, in exchange for payment, thousands of classified documents from the BND. Manfred D. remained part of the service until March 2026 and had served several successive directors, including the current chief, Martin Jäger.
Approximately 2,000 documents transmitted over more than a decade
According to the federal prosecutor's office, the two suspects are believed to have concluded an agreement in the spring of 2010: Manfred D. would regularly provide Hanning with sensitive information from the BND, which the latter would exploit for commercial purposes as part of his private consultancy activities. Approximately 2,000 documents are believed to have been transmitted, at least until June 2022.
The prosecutor's office details the charges against Hanning, 80: espionage constituting treason, collection of intelligence falling under state secrecy, attempted high treason, and activities as an agent on behalf of a foreign intelligence service. After leaving the helm of the BND, Hanning had served as state secretary at the interior ministry from 2005 to 2009, before reconverting to private consulting.
Reports on Iranian nuclear programme and Russian military
The prosecutor's office statement does not specify which foreign countries may have benefited from this information. However, AFP reports that Russia would not be among the beneficiaries. German public television, for its part, states that "the documents would be highly sensitive reports concerning the Iranian nuclear programme or the Russian military".
The prosecutor's office further specifies that Hanning is believed to have used classified content to draft an analysis intended for "an officer of a foreign intelligence service", and that he was "in close contact with a representative of another foreign intelligence service".
The two men were arrested during operations conducted simultaneously in North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria. Magazine Der Spiegel published images showing August Hanning flanked by masked police officers. A judge must now rule on any potential remand in custody.
Current BND chief promises "no compromise"
Martin Jäger, director of the BND in office, responded in the regional newspaper Rheinische Post. He stated that he would make "no compromises regarding internal security", refusing any further comment owing to the ongoing investigation.
The case comes at a particularly sensitive time for German intelligence, which is seeking to strengthen its capabilities in the face of what Berlin describes as a growing threat from Russia, particularly through its espionage and sabotage activities.
Parliamentary commission demands full audit
In the Bundestag, the revelation of the case provoked strong reactions. Marc Henrichmann, CDU conservative deputy of chancellor Friedrich Merz and chairman of the parliamentary commission overseeing security services, commended the work of investigators to AFP. "Whoever allies with the enemies of our liberal democracy will be discovered. We will tolerate no betrayal of secrets," he stated.
His colleague Konstantin von Notz, elected Green and vice-chairman of the same commission, called for a thorough audit of the leaks attributed to the suspects. "Any potential damage to intelligence must also be assessed and clarified without delay and comprehensively," he said.
Von Notz also objected to the practice that allows former officials who had access to state secrets to reconvert to the private sector, where they can monetise their networks and access. "We have repeatedly warned the German government about this extremely problematic development. Such practices clearly also constitute a gateway for adversary intelligence services," he told AFP.
Investigation stemming from another case
The investigation targeting Hanning was not opened directly on the basis of espionage suspicions. It began following searches conducted as part of a separate case: Hanning is suspected of having assisted Christina Block, heiress of a famous German restaurant chain, who is being prosecuted for having organised the abduction of two of her own children in order to remove them from her ex-husband. It was during these investigations that espionage suspicions are believed to have emerged.
Source: Le Temps