Translating into Español. The English version is shown until it is ready.
Germany detains ex-BND chief Hanning on suspicion of espionage
En breve
August Hanning, who headed Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1998 to 2005, has been detained on suspicion of espionage, obtaining state secrets and attempted high treason, according to German and Russian outlets. His former chief of staff, identified as Manfred D., was detained as well and is suspected of aiding espionage. Investigators say the two agreed in 2010 that Manfred D. would pass over intelligence information for money, and that Hanning received around 2,000 BND documents, some of them covering Iran's nuclear programme and the Russian armed forces.
Leer la noticia completa 3 min de lectura
The former head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND), August Hanning, has been detained on suspicion of espionage, according to Russian outlets citing German media and the German Federal Prosecutor's Office. TASS, citing Bild, and RIA Novosti first reported that the former head of German intelligence had been detained, without naming him; RBC later named him as Hanning. Interfax, citing Associated Press, said the 80-year-old was detained on Tuesday in Bavaria on suspicion of working for a foreign intelligence service. RBC, Interfax and Vedomosti said he is suspected of espionage, obtaining state secrets and attempted high treason. RBC reported that the arrest shook the German political establishment, while Kommersant called it a “scandal of the century”, in which a man who was supposed to catch spies is accused of spying. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
A second man was detained in the same case. Kommersant, Meduza, Interfax and Vedomosti identify him as Manfred D., Hanning's former chief of staff. Interfax, citing the prosecution, said he is suspected of aiding espionage and that he remained a BND employee after Hanning's departure, heading the administration from 2012 to March 2026 with access to confidential information. Kommersant said he remained with the service until spring 2026. According to the investigation, Hanning agreed with him in 2010 that he would pass over intelligence information in exchange for money, and Hanning received around 2,000 internal BND documents, many of them classified, Meduza, Interfax and Vedomosti reported. [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Hanning is suspected of using the material in one instance to prepare an analytical report for an officer of a foreign intelligence service. Meduza, citing Spiegel, said the report was prepared for Azerbaijan's intelligence service, while Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR and WDR said that episode was not connected to Russia. Meduza reported that with another foreign intelligence officer, whose service is also unclear, Hanning communicated for years and passed on political information, including material obtained from Manfred D. Interfax, citing Associated Press, said it is unknown with which country Hanning maintained contacts and whether the secret information reached that officer. Vedomosti reported that investigators believe he also used the data in private consulting work, and that in another episode he passed information to a representative of another special service. [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Kommersant, citing Bild, reported that investigators came onto the case while examining the kidnapping of the children of entrepreneur Christina Block, and that searches at Hanning's home and offices found an electronic storage device containing BND documents. The seized material was handed to federal authorities, and in May the German prosecutor general's office began studying the leak, according to the same report. Vedomosti reported that after leaving the BND Hanning moved to the Federal Interior Ministry, where he was a state secretary until 2009, and later worked in the private sector, including security consulting. [ 4 , 5 , 7 ]
Meduza, citing The Insider, reported that Hanning flew to Russia at least seven times between 2015 and 2019, on trips some of which lasted less than a day, and noted, citing Süddeutsche Zeitung, that his ties to Russia had been discussed since his diplomatic work in East Berlin in GDR times but that no evidence for them existed. The same report said he testified in a London court in 2013 in support of businessman Oleg Deripaska in a dispute over the sale of a RusAl stake, as a security expert, maintained contacts with former Russian Railways head Vladimir Yakunin and took part in an Arctic Council meeting led by Nikolai Patrushev, citing the Dossier Centre. Meduza also reported that Hanning worked as a consultant in the Russian division of the London consulting firm G3. [ 5 ]
Por qué importa
The case places a former head of a German intelligence service at the centre of espionage allegations involving foreign services, a matter with potential diplomatic weight between Germany and Russia. Russian business outlets say the arrest shook the German political establishment, but the documents state that investigators have not named the countries involved, so the wider consequences remain unclear.
Datos clave
- August Hanning, who headed Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1998 to 2005, was detained on suspicion of working for a foreign intelligence service, according to Interfax, citing Associated Press. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
- Interfax, citing Associated Press, says the 80-year-old was detained on Tuesday in Bavaria, and that he is suspected of obtaining state secrets, attempted high treason and espionage, as RBC and Vedomosti also reported. [ 3 , 6 , 7 ]
- His former chief of staff, identified as Manfred D., was detained in the same case and is suspected of aiding espionage; according to Interfax, he remained a BND employee after Hanning's departure and headed the administration from 2012 to March 2026. [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- According to investigators, Hanning agreed with Manfred D. in 2010 that the latter would pass him intelligence information in exchange for money, and Hanning received around 2,000 internal BND documents, many of them classified. [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Among the documents were materials on the Iranian nuclear programme and the Russian armed forces, according to Kommersant and Meduza. [ 4 , 5 ]
- Hanning is suspected of using the material to prepare an analytical report for an officer of a foreign intelligence service and, in another instance, of passing information to a representative of another foreign service, according to Meduza, Interfax and Vedomosti. [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Kommersant, citing Bild, reported that investigators came onto the case while examining the kidnapping of the children of entrepreneur Christina Block, and that searches of Hanning's home and offices found an electronic storage device with BND documents. [ 4 ]
- Meduza, citing The Insider, reported that Hanning flew to Russia at least seven times between 2015 and 2019 on short trips. [ 5 ]
Confirmado por varias fuentes
- August Hanning, who headed Germany's BND from 1998 to 2005, was detained on suspicion of espionage. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
- Hanning headed the BND from 1998 to 2005 (Meduza specifies December 1998 to November 2005). [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- A second man, his former chief of staff Manfred D., was detained in the same case and is suspected of aiding espionage. [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Hanning is suspected of espionage, obtaining state secrets and attempted high treason. [ 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 ]
- According to investigators, Hanning and Manfred D. agreed in 2010 that Manfred D. would pass over intelligence information for money, and Hanning received about 2,000 BND documents. [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- The material included information about the Iranian nuclear programme and the Russian armed forces. [ 4 , 5 ]
- The German Federal Prosecutor's Office is handling the case. [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Aún sin aclarar
- Which foreign intelligence service Hanning is alleged to have prepared an analytical report for. Meduza, citing Spiegel, says the report was drawn up for Azerbaijan's intelligence service, while Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR and WDR say that episode was not connected to Russia; Interfax, citing Associated Press, says it is unknown with which country Hanning maintained contacts.
- Which service the second foreign contact belonged to and whether secret information actually reached that officer. Meduza says it is unclear which service this was, and Interfax, citing Associated Press, says it is unknown whether the secret information reached the officer.
- The exact place of detention and the authority that carried it out. Interfax, citing Associated Press, says Hanning was detained in Bavaria — a federal state, not a city — and no specific location or detaining body is named in the documents.
- Hanning's reported Russia ties, including seven flights to Russia between 2015 and 2019. This is reported by Meduza citing The Insider alone; Meduza also notes that Süddeutsche Zeitung said such links had been discussed since his time in East Berlin but that no evidence for them existed.
- The link between the espionage case and the investigation into the kidnapping of Christina Block's children. This detail appears only in Kommersant, attributed to Bild, and is not carried by the other outlets.
Qué dicen los medios locales
Cronología, hora local
- TASS reports, citing Bild, that the former head of Germany's intelligence service has been detained on suspicion of espionage. [ 1 ]
- RIA Novosti reports the detention of the former head of German intelligence on suspicion of espionage. [ 2 ]
- RBC names the detained man as Hanning, says he headed German intelligence from 1998 to 2005 and lists suspicions of espionage, obtaining state secrets and attempted high treason. [ 3 ]
- Kommersant reports the detention together with Manfred D. and details the alleged passing of secret BND documents, including material on the Iranian nuclear programme and the Russian army. [ 4 ]
- Meduza reports the Federal Prosecutor's Office's account of a 2010 money-for-documents agreement, around 2,000 documents and Hanning's reported Russia flights. [ 5 ]
- Interfax, citing Associated Press, reports the detention in Bavaria and gives Hanning's age as 80. [ 6 ]
- Vedomosti reports the case and Hanning's subsequent career at the Federal Interior Ministry until 2009 and in private security consulting. [ 7 ]
- Kommersant calls the case a “scandal of the century” — a man who was supposed to catch spies is accused of spying. [ 8 ]
- RBC reports that the arrest of the former BND head shook the German political establishment. [ 9 ]