A German court ordered the detention of August Hanning, 80, who faces accusations of treason and espionage. The office of the federal prosecutor alleges that Hanning bought secret documents and advised a foreign intelligence service.
Hanning previously headed Germany’s foreign intelligence service (BND) between 1998 and 2005. Investigators alerted authorities to Hanning’s alleged criminal activities following a child kidnapping case.
Furthermore, prosecutors believe Hanning received approximately 2,000 documents from Manfred D up until June 2022. Manfred D, who retired in March this year, allegedly agreed with Hanning in 2010 to pay for information.
Formal arrest was placed on Manfred D in Karlsruhe. Christina Block allegedly paid Hanning and a retired police officer over 100,000 Euro.
Der Spiegel reported that investigators are looking into a possible link to Azerbaijan’s foreign intelligence service. However, Azerbaijan’s media and broadcasting council denied any connection to Hanning or the investigation.
The council stated that the malicious intent of the forces behind this disinformation operation is to damage Azerbaijan-Germany relations. The historical context includes the Günter Guillaume affair, which involved an East German Stasi spy infiltrating Willy Brandt's government.
Following these events, politicians called for stricter regulation concerning former security employees. Germany is currently attempting to make its intelligence agencies more robust and independent.
Other recent cases include Carsten L, who was accused of spying for Russia in December 2022. It is noted that Hanning previously oversaw the investigation into terrorists after the 11 September 2001 attacks.
Separately, Hanning established Hanning Consult alongside his wife, Ruth.
