“GEGHARD”
SCIENTIFIC ANALYTICAL
FOUNDATION
2026
2026
2026-10-13
On October 6, 2026, August Hanning, former head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND) (1998–2005) and former State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Interior (2005–2009), was arrested as part of proceedings initiated by Germany’s Federal Public Prosecutor General on suspicion of attempted treason, obtaining state secrets, and acting on behalf of a foreign intelligence service. On October 7, the Federal Court of Justice ordered his pre-trial detention.
The 80-year-old Hanning is suspected of obtaining classified documents from a former colleague in exchange for payment and using them to prepare analytical material for a representative of a foreign intelligence service. According to Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine, Hanning’s alleged client was an employee of Azerbaijan’s intelligence service.
On October 7, Sebastian Hille, Deputy Spokesperson for the German Federal Government, described the allegations as “serious” but did not name any country, stating that “nothing is being ruled out.” The Azerbaijani side, through its media outlets and the Audiovisual Council, has denied any connection between Hanning and Azerbaijan, describing Der Spiegel’s October 7 report as “disinformation” and part of a “campaign to discredit” Azerbaijan.
Hanning’s residence had already been searched in September 2025 as part of the investigation into the abduction of the children of German businesswoman Christina Block, on suspicion of aiding and abetting the crime. Block was accused of arranging the abduction of her children amid a custody dispute.
According to media reports, while examining materials seized from Hanning’s residence, Hamburg criminal police discovered an electronic storage device containing numerous classified documents belonging to Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND). As a result, the case was transferred to the Office of the Federal Public Prosecutor General in May 2026, and on October 6, Hanning and Manfred D., his former chief of staff, were arrested.
Manfred D., who was arrested, is also suspected of aiding and abetting attempted treason. According to the prosecution, Hanning and Manfred D. allegedly agreed in the spring of 2010 that the latter would regularly pass on information from Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND) to Hanning in exchange for payment. Manfred D. worked under Hanning’s supervision. From March 2012 until his retirement in March 2026, Manfred D. headed the office of the successive presidents of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service.
According to information released by the prosecution, Hanning received approximately 2,000 documents from Manfred D. by June 2022, many of which were classified. Although Hanning’s lawyer denies the allegations, Hanning allegedly used the information contained in the documents in his own consulting work and, over a period of several years, passed politically sensitive information to an officer of another country’s intelligence service.
While Berlin considers the allegations serious and the Azerbaijani side dismisses them as a “smear campaign,” the case against the former intelligence chief could develop into a major international diplomatic scandal.