Ex-German Spy Chief Accused of Spying for Azerbaijan

August Hanning, the 80-year-old former head of Germany's foreign intelligence agency (BND), has been arrested on suspicion of preparing intelligence reports for an Azerbaijani intelligence officer. German media reported that Hanning allegedly used classified documents, received over years from his former bureau chief, Manfred D., in exchange for payment. Hanning led the BND from 1998 to 2005 and was considered a powerful figure in German security. His arrest follows a period of involvement in questionable consulting businesses and financial lawsuits.

Manfred D., 64, who served at the BND until his retirement in March, is accused of transferring approximately 2,000 documents, many classified, to Hanning for payment. The intelligence reportedly flowed to Hanning from 2010 to 2022, primarily consisting of materials prepared for the BND's secret weekly intelligence meeting at the Chancellor's office. Hanning faces charges of espionage, state secrets collection, attempted treason, and acting as an agent for a foreign intelligence service.

The documents were discovered incidentally during a search of Hanning's home last year, related to the investigation into the kidnapping of the children of Christina Block, heiress to the German steakhouse chain "Block House," by an Israeli cell. Investigators had suspected a security company linked to Hanning was involved in a prior, failed kidnapping attempt, which he denies. "Der Spiegel" revealed the Azerbaijani connection, and investigators are still determining if the intelligence reached its intended recipient. Hanning had publicly acknowledged his ties to Baku, serving on the board of the "German-Azerbaijani Forum."

Furthermore, Hanning is suspected of maintaining close contact with another, as yet unidentified, foreign intelligence official for years. "Süddeutsche Zeitung" suggests he may have had multiple international clients for the information he obtained. The case has raised concerns beyond Germany, as BND documents for the Chancellor's office often contain sensitive information from partner intelligence services, potentially creating significant international fallout, according to "Der Spiegel."

German intelligence relies heavily on information exchange with international partners, with many attacks foiled due to timely warnings, often from the US and Israel. For instance, a Hamas plot targeting Jewish and Israeli sites in Berlin around the second anniversary of October 7 was thwarted partly due to Israeli intelligence. "Der Spiegel" noted that "information leaks are examined very carefully by partners."

Hanning began his state service in the 1970s, rising through the ranks. In the 1990s, he handled sensitive tasks at the Chancellor's office, including contacts between Israel and Hezbollah. As BND chief, he secretly met in Beirut with Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah as part of mediation preceding the 2004 Tenenbaum deal. After leaving the BND in 2005, he served for four years in a role equivalent to the Director-General of the Interior Ministry. Following his 2009 retirement from public service, Hanning entered the consulting business, quickly becoming a "name that could be bought," according to "Der Spiegel." He previously provided testimony for Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska and served on the board of a Latvian bank that later collapsed, leading to a multi-million euro lawsuit against him. A Latvian court ordered two-thirds of his pension frozen, though Hanning denied wrongdoing.

Until recently, Hanning was a welcome guest in German intelligence circles, attending the BND chief's inauguration ceremony in September 2025, the same month investigators searched his home. Hanning himself once called Edward Snowden a "criminal insider" and stated over twenty years ago that an intelligence service "cannot accept a situation where a former employee reveals secrets and endangers sources."