The scandal shaking Germany: The country for which the former BND chief spied

The German magazine Der Spiegel reported that investigators in the espionage case believe August Hanning, the former head of the BND, gathered information for Azerbaijani intelligence. Hanning maintained ties with Azerbaijan and even served on the board of the German-Azerbaijani Forum. The suspicion: he prepared an intelligence analysis based on classified information intended for a figure in Azerbaijani intelligence.

The German magazine Der Spiegel reported Tuesday evening that investigators in the espionage case believe the foreign intelligence service agent for whom August Hanning, the former head of the BND, gathered information is an Azerbaijani intelligence officer. The German federal prosecutor's office did not disclose the identity of the foreign country, but according to the report, assessments indicate it is Azerbaijan. The report comes hours after German authorities announced the arrest of Hanning, 80, on suspicion of espionage, treason, obtaining state secrets, and acting as an agent for a foreign intelligence service. Hanning headed the BND from 1998 to 2005. Simultaneously, Manfred D., 64, who served as his chief of staff at the BND, was arrested on suspicion of passing classified information to Hanning even after he left the service. According to the suspicion, he transferred about 2,000 classified documents to him until June 2022. In one instance, Hanning used the information to prepare an intelligence analysis for an Azerbaijani figure. Hanning was previously a board member of the German-Azerbaijani Forum. His arrest is considered an unusual event in Germany.