August Hanning, the former head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service, was arrested this week on suspicion of offences including attempted treason. Weeks earlier he had written an angry letter to his successor, after learning that the agency had passed on allegations that he spied for Russia.
Former German intelligence chief August Hanning angrily challenged his old agency over allegations that he was a Russian spy, less than three months before his arrest this week, Politico reported, citing the German newspaper WELT.
Hanning led the BND, Germany’s foreign intelligence service, from 1998 to 2005.
The Arrest
Hanning was arrested this week on suspicion of offences including attempted treason.
His former chief of staff is also in custody.
The allegations have not been proven. No trial has been reported.
The Letter
On August 17, Hanning sent a three-page letter to the current BND president, Martin Jäger, demanding answers to 11 questions.
In it, he complained that the agency had passed allegations made by a former intelligence agent, that he was a Russian spy, to investigators without consulting him.
Jäger did not reply at the time, according to Hanning, who spoke to WELT before his arrest.
Concern Among Allies
The case has caused unease abroad.
Grzegorz Malecki, a former head of Poland’s foreign intelligence service, told WELT it was “extremely concerning” and could deepen allies’ distrust of the BND. He warned that it could undermine intelligence-sharing with Germany.
Questions for the Agency
The BND itself faces questions over allegations that it allowed Hanning’s former chief of staff to work for him outside his official duties.
Günter Heiss, a former intelligence coordinator under Chancellor Angela Merkel, said any such approval would have had to be decided at senior management level.
“Without knowing the details, I would never have approved anything like this had I been in a position of responsibility at the BND,” he said.
A Defender
Bernd Schmidbauer, who coordinated intelligence under Chancellor Helmut Kohl, said Hanning had made major contributions to Germany’s national security.
He called the affair “not only a tragedy for the German intelligence services, but also for the former senior official himself”.
Hanning was among Schmidbauer’s closest aides during the 1990s.
Why It Matters
Hanning ran the agency responsible for Germany’s foreign intelligence for seven years. Suspicion that such a figure worked for Russia is a serious matter for Germany and its allies. For now, it remains an allegation.
Image: The headquarters of the BND, Germany’s foreign intelligence service, in Berlin (file photo, 2019). Photo by Olaf Kosinsky via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE.
