The repercussions of the arrest of August Hanning, the former head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service, the BND, are widening as British and American intelligence agencies review classified information previously shared with Germany, amid fears that sources or intelligence operations may have been compromised. Hanning, 80, is suspected of spying and high treason on behalf of a foreign state.
Britain reviews documents on Iran’s nuclear programme and the Russian military
British security agencies are expected to conduct a wide-ranging review of information that may have been compromised following Hanning’s arrest. The documents under investigation are believed to include sensitive security assessments and classified material from foreign intelligence agencies, as well as information relating to Iran’s nuclear programme and the Russian military.
Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine reported that the foreign state suspected of benefiting from Hanning’s activities is Azerbaijan. The allegations against him include gathering and sharing classified information, as well as spying and high treason, charges that could carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison if he is convicted.
Hanning’s tenure as head of German intelligence
Hanning headed the BND between 1998 and 2005, during which time the German agency received sensitive information from allied intelligence services, including Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, and the US Central Intelligence Agency, the CIA. Current concerns focus on material exchanged during periods when the documents may have been leaked.
According to German prosecutors, five years after ending his tenure at the agency, Hanning reached an agreement with Manfred D., his former chief of staff, to obtain classified intelligence in exchange for money. The allegations state that Manfred D. supplied his former superior with nearly 2,000 BND documents.
Investigators believe Hanning used the information contained in those documents in his private consultancy work. Manfred D. remained chief of staff to Hanning’s successors from 2012 to 2026, and is suspected of continuing to provide Hanning with information until at least mid-2022.
Experts warn of the widening scope of the security breach
Anthony Glees, a professor specialising in intelligence affairs and British-German relations, described the case as potentially one of the most serious European security breaches since the Cold War. The assessment reflects the level of concern over the nature of the documents potentially involved and the wide circle of foreign agencies that exchanged information with the German side.
Matthew Dunn, a former MI6 officer, said that information exchanged between the agencies of allied countries is usually redacted to protect sources and individuals. He added that British agencies would review the material they shared during periods when it may have been vulnerable to leakage, to assess the potential extent of the damage.
Investigators trace the flow of information to Azerbaijan
Part of the investigation is focused on whether an analysis prepared by Hanning on the basis of classified information actually reached an official in Azerbaijan’s intelligence service. The matter has not yet been resolved, as investigators continue to examine the flow of the information and the nature of the suspected dealings with the foreign party.
The case comes as the German government has been seeking to expand the BND’s powers and restore it to a more prominent position within the international intelligence system. However, the agency has faced other cases in recent years, including the arrest of an employee in 2022 on charges of handing information to Russia, and the conviction of another employee in 2016 for handing more than 200 documents to the US Central Intelligence Agency.
Suspicions concerning Hanning began after his home and office were searched in September 2025 as part of a separate investigation into suspected involvement in the kidnapping of the children of Christina Block, the heiress to a German restaurant empire. During the search, investigators found an electronic storage device containing classified BND documents, which later led to the opening of the current spying investigation.
German reports have also examined Hanning’s links to entities in Russia and China, saying that he worked as a consultant for companies in various countries and that his contacts included government institutions in both countries. Bild newspaper said the relationships could point to links with the Kremlin, without establishing that he worked for Russia. Officials familiar with the investigation confirmed that Russia is not currently a party to the case.
