Ex-German Spy Chief Arrested for Espionage and Treason

August Hanning, the 80-year-old former head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND), was arrested at his home on Tuesday on suspicion of espionage and attempted treason. Prosecutors allege that for over a decade, Hanning received approximately 2,000 classified documents from his former office chief, Manfred D., in exchange for payment. These documents reportedly included materials prepared for intelligence briefings for the Chancellor's office, information on Iran's nuclear program, the Russian military, and intelligence from partner nations.

Hanning is accused of using this information for financial gain in his work as a private consultant, including preparing a briefing for a foreign intelligence officer. He also allegedly maintained close contact with an operative from another country's intelligence service, sharing political information partly derived from the documents he received from Manfred D. The specific country involved has not been disclosed, but a German intelligence source told Politico it was not Russia or China.

Manfred D., whose full name was withheld due to German privacy laws, continued to serve as office chief for several BND presidents after Hanning, from 2012 until March of this year. He is scheduled to appear before a federal judge in Karlsruhe, while Hanning will face a detention hearing on Wednesday. A member of the Bundestag and chairman of the Intelligence Oversight Committee, Markus Henrichsmann, stated, "Germany will not tolerate those who betray its secrets."

The BND, responsible for Germany's foreign intelligence gathering, is directly subordinate to the Chancellor's office. The article notes the BND's history of breaches by foreign intelligence services, which has sometimes led Western agencies to withhold sensitive information. Hanning, who led the BND from 1998 to 2005, was also involved in sensitive past dealings, including secret meetings in Beirut with Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah prior to the 2004 Elhanan Tannenbaum affair and a visit to Tehran in 2006 to discuss security aspects related to Iran's participation in the World Cup held in Germany.

In recent years, Hanning faced financial difficulties, with his pension reportedly garnished for years. Last year, his name was linked to the alleged kidnapping of the children of Christina Block, an heiress to a steak restaurant chain. While not charged in the ongoing trial, prosecutors suspected Hanning and a former police officer, who headed a security firm, of agreeing to accept over 100,000 euros from Block for a failed attempt to return her children. This investigation, which began in September 2025 when prosecutors searched Hanning's home and offices, ultimately led to his arrest.