August Hanning, the former head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND), was arrested on charges of espionage and disclosure of state secrets. This news was announced on Tuesday by the German Federal Prosecutor's Office. Hanning served in this position from December 1998 to November 2005 and then moved to the German Ministry of the Interior, where he worked as a state secretary until November 2009.
Charges against Hanning and his accomplice
According to a statement from the Prosecutor's Office, Hanning faces charges including espionage, disclosure of state secrets, treason, and acting as an agent of a secret service. Additionally, another individual identified as his accomplice has been arrested on charges of providing hundreds of classified documents to Hanning in exchange for payment.
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On Tuesday, police raided Hanning's home in Nordwalde, near Munich, and arrested him. Hanning's accomplice, known only by the name Manfred D., was arrested in Bavaria and is currently under interrogation. German authorities are examining the properties of both suspects and conducting searches in Berlin as well.
Background and scope of the investigation
The investigation into Hanning began due to his connection with a high-profile case involving businesswoman Christiane Block. According to the Prosecutor's Office, Hanning and Manfred D. have collaborated in this manner since 2010. Manfred D. served as the head of Hanning's successors' office at the BND from 2012 until March 2026 and had access to classified documents.
Investigations indicate that Manfred D. provided Hanning with approximately 2000 documents, many of which contained classified information intended solely for internal use by the Federal Intelligence Agency. Furthermore, Manfred D. is accused of providing information to Hanning until mid-2022, which Hanning used in his private consultations.
Hanning has also been accused of being close to a representative of a foreign intelligence service, who has transferred political information related to sensitive issues to him over several years. The Prosecutor's Office has not yet disclosed the name of this foreign intelligence service.
Both suspects are set to appear before an investigating judge on Tuesday and Wednesday. Mark Heinrichmann, head of the German Parliament's Intelligence Oversight Committee, stated regarding these arrests that Germany "cannot tolerate betrayal of secrets" and added that "anyone who collaborates with the enemies of our liberal democracy will be identified."
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