Der Spiegel։ Former German intelligence chief spied for Baku

Former Head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service August Hanning, who was detained yesterday on suspicion of espionage and attempted high treason, was in contact with an employee of Azerbaijan's special services, Der Spiegel reports, citing anonymous sources.

According to sources, Hanning (who served from 1998 to 2005) prepared an intelligence briefing for Azerbaijani intelligence.

The Azerbaijan Press and Broadcasting Council denied the allegations, stating: "This is disinformation and part of an ongoing, intense campaign to slander Azerbaijan."

According to the German Federal Prosecutor's Office, an informant who held high-ranking positions in the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) has been charged with transferring about 2,000 documents (many of them classified) to Hanning between the 2010s and 2022.

Prosecutors claim that Hanning used this information for personal profit. He intended to "resell" the data as part of his consulting activities. Specifically, according to the prosecution, in at least one instance Hanning used confidential information to compile an analytical report for a foreign intelligence officer.

In Germany, high treason is punishable by up to life imprisonment.