The espionage affair shaking Germany: Azerbaijan denies reports of connection to Hannig

The espionage affair in which former BND chief August Hannig was arrested is expanding: new reports claim he received thousands of classified documents from a former colleague. Azerbaijan denies any connection to the affair and has protested to Germany.

The espionage affair in which former head of the German Federal Intelligence Service, August Hannig, was arrested is expanding. According to new reports, Hannig allegedly received thousands of classified documents from a former BND colleague, Manfred D., who previously served as Hannig's office manager. Manfred transferred about 2,000 documents to Hannig between 2012 and March 2026, some of which were for internal use only. Hannig used some of the material in his work as a consultant and even prepared an analysis for an intelligence officer of a foreign secret service. Investigators are examining a possible connection to Azerbaijan, and Baku has protested to Germany through diplomatic channels. Azerbaijan claims that presenting the allegations as fact raises serious concern. Some of the documents dealt with the Iranian nuclear program and the Russian military. The investigation began following a search of Hannig's offices in September 2025, where classified documents were found. Hannig was arrested on Tuesday in the Steinfurt district. The suspicions have not yet been examined in court.