A former head of Germany's foreign intelligence service was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion that he passed state secrets to a foreign intelligence service, the federal prosecutor's office said, in what would be an unprecedented case in modern German history.
The arrests
August Hanning, who led the Federal Intelligence Service, known by its German acronym BND, from 1998 to 2005, is "strongly suspected of treasonous espionage, spying out state secrets, attempted treason, and espionage," the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement. Hanning, 80, was arrested in Bad Toelz-Wolfratshausen in southern Germany.
A former aide, identified as Manfred D. in line with German privacy rules, was also arrested on Tuesday in Steinfurt in western Germany and has been charged with aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage. The premises of both men were searched the same day.
What prosecutors allege
The prosecutor's office said Manfred D. had served as Hanning's chief of staff and later as chief of staff for several subsequent BND presidents from 2012 until 2026, giving him access to confidential information. Prosecutors allege the two agreed in 2010 that Manfred D. would continuously transmit valuable BND intelligence to Hanning in exchange for payment.
According to the statement, Manfred D. provided Hanning with approximately 2,000 documents over the years, many containing classified information intended exclusively for the federal intelligence service's internal use, particularly executive intelligence briefings. Hanning allegedly used the information in private consulting work, and on one occasion used classified intelligence to draft an analysis for an officer of a foreign intelligence service.
The statement did not reveal which country the foreign agent worked for, and prosecutors said it has yet to be determined whether the material reached its intended recipient. German media have reported the case is not believed to involve Russia.
How the case emerged
The proceedings stem from evidence found during a search of Hanning's residence in a separate investigation into the abduction of Hamburg businesswoman Christina Block's children from their ex-husband in Denmark in January 2024. Hanning and a retired official from the Hamburg State Criminal Police Office are suspected of having accepted a contract to abduct the children while serving as executives of a security firm.
Political reaction
German opposition lawmaker Konstantin von Notz, a member of the Greens party on the parliamentary committee overseeing the intelligence services, expressed shock about the allegations and called for a swift and thorough investigation. He also called for banning former officials with security clearances from engaging in private consulting work after leaving office.
If the allegations are confirmed, the case would be unprecedented: no former intelligence official of Hanning's rank has previously been suspected of treason in modern German history.
Sources: CNN: Former German spy chief arrested on treason and espionage allegations | Dagens: Germany - former spy chief arrested for espionage, attempted treason
The arrests
August Hanning, who led the Federal Intelligence Service, known by its German acronym BND, from 1998 to 2005, is "strongly suspected of treasonous espionage, spying out state secrets, attempted treason, and espionage," the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement. Hanning, 80, was arrested in Bad Toelz-Wolfratshausen in southern Germany.
A former aide, identified as Manfred D. in line with German privacy rules, was also arrested on Tuesday in Steinfurt in western Germany and has been charged with aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage. The premises of both men were searched the same day.
What prosecutors allege
The prosecutor's office said Manfred D. had served as Hanning's chief of staff and later as chief of staff for several subsequent BND presidents from 2012 until 2026, giving him access to confidential information. Prosecutors allege the two agreed in 2010 that Manfred D. would continuously transmit valuable BND intelligence to Hanning in exchange for payment.
According to the statement, Manfred D. provided Hanning with approximately 2,000 documents over the years, many containing classified information intended exclusively for the federal intelligence service's internal use, particularly executive intelligence briefings. Hanning allegedly used the information in private consulting work, and on one occasion used classified intelligence to draft an analysis for an officer of a foreign intelligence service.
The statement did not reveal which country the foreign agent worked for, and prosecutors said it has yet to be determined whether the material reached its intended recipient. German media have reported the case is not believed to involve Russia.
How the case emerged
The proceedings stem from evidence found during a search of Hanning's residence in a separate investigation into the abduction of Hamburg businesswoman Christina Block's children from their ex-husband in Denmark in January 2024. Hanning and a retired official from the Hamburg State Criminal Police Office are suspected of having accepted a contract to abduct the children while serving as executives of a security firm.
Political reaction
German opposition lawmaker Konstantin von Notz, a member of the Greens party on the parliamentary committee overseeing the intelligence services, expressed shock about the allegations and called for a swift and thorough investigation. He also called for banning former officials with security clearances from engaging in private consulting work after leaving office.
If the allegations are confirmed, the case would be unprecedented: no former intelligence official of Hanning's rank has previously been suspected of treason in modern German history.
Sources: CNN: Former German spy chief arrested on treason and espionage allegations | Dagens: Germany - former spy chief arrested for espionage, attempted treason
