August Hanning, who led Germany's foreign intelligence service, the BND, from 1998 to 2005, was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of espionage and attempted treason, the Federal Prosecutor's Office said. Police detained the 80-year-old at his home near Münster, in western Germany. His former office manager at the BND, identified under privacy rules as Manfred D., was arrested at his home in Bavaria. Both were due to appear before a judge at the Federal Court of Justice.
According to prosecutors, Hanning agreed in 2010 with Manfred D. that he would receive confidential BND information in exchange for payment. Manfred D., who had worked as Hanning's assistant when Hanning was a state secretary in the Interior Ministry, returned to the BND in 2012 and served as office manager to successive presidents until March 2026. Prosecutors say he passed on about 2,000 documents, many intended only for internal use or for intelligence briefings at the chancellery. German media reported that the material touched on subjects such as Iran's nuclear programme and the Russian military, and included sensitive information from allied services. The handovers reportedly continued until mid-2022.
Prosecutors also allege that Hanning used classified material to draft an analysis for an officer of a foreign intelligence service, though it is unclear whether it reached its recipient. They say he also maintained close contact for years with a representative of another foreign service, passing on political information. Authorities have not named the countries involved. Der Spiegel reported that investigators suspect a link to Azerbaijan, which has not been confirmed, and the prosecutor's office declined to comment. Süddeutsche Zeitung and taz reported that the case does not involve Russia. Hanning did not respond to requests for comment, and his lawyer left a request unanswered.
The case emerged by chance. Hamburg investigators were examining an alleged kidnapping of the children of steakhouse heiress Christina Block, who is accused of orchestrating it amid a custody dispute. A security firm linked to Hanning came into focus, and a search of his home in September 2025 turned up BND documents. Hanning denies involvement in the earlier kidnapping attempt. The federal prosecutor took over the case in May.
Reaction has been strong. BND President Martin Jäger said the agency had launched extensive internal investigations and that there could be "no compromises" on internal security. Marc Henrichmann, who chairs the parliamentary body overseeing the intelligence services, said the arrests showed the state's ability to act. Intelligence scholar Kenneth Lasoen called the case a "nightmare scenario", warning that it could damage the BND's standing with partner services, and a senior security lawmaker said it could harm trust with allies. The affair follows the ongoing trial of BND officer Carsten L., accused of passing secrets to Russia, and adds to a long history of espionage scandals in Germany.