The arrest and the charges
Germany's former foreign intelligence chief August Hanning was detained this week on suspicion of sharing information from confidential documents provided by his former chief of staff with foreign intelligence agents. Reuters reports that the alleged activities took place after his 2005 retirement, when he worked as an independent security consultant. The former chief of staff, identified by the federal prosecutor's office as Manfred D., is also in custody. According to Onet Wiadomosci, prosecutors allege Manfred D. handed Hanning almost 2,000 secret items from the service between 2012 and March 2026. Hanning is accused of attempted treason among other charges. Prosecutors have not commented on what material may have been shared or who received it.
Alleged Chinese contacts
Spiegel reports that Hanning had travelled to China several times and knew a former official who had served at China's embassy in East Berlin. The magazine identified that official as Wang Jianzheng, a former major general it describes as an established expert on German affairs who had translated German books into Chinese. According to the Greek outlet News 247/7 citing Spiegel sources, Hanning shared sensitive information with a Chinese official. Spiegel also reports that Hanning and Wang appeared together at conferences and business exchanges until 2023. Spiegel further reports that Hanning is under investigation over whether he passed confidential information to Azerbaijani services, which Baku has already denied.
Hanning's response
Hanning's lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a statement to Spiegel, the lawyer denied that his client had damaged German interests and said he was being wrongfully prosecuted. Hanning had earlier written to BND president Martin Jaeger. In a three-page letter dated 17 August, obtained by WELT, Hanning asked 11 questions and complained that the BND had passed allegations from a former intelligence agent, who called him a Russian spy, to investigators without consulting him. According to Hanning, Jaeger did not respond to the letter at the time.
Reaction abroad and at home
Grzegorz Malecki, former head of Poland's foreign intelligence service, told WELT that the case was "extremely concerning" and could deepen allies' distrust of the BND. He warned it could undermine intelligence-sharing with Germany. Within Germany, the BND has also drawn criticism over allegations that it allowed Hanning's former chief of staff to work for Hanning outside his official duties. Former intelligence coordinator Gunter Heiss, who served under Angela Merkel, said any such approval would have had to be decided at senior management level. Bernd Schmidbauer, a former minister of state and intelligence coordinator under Helmut Kohl, told WELT that Hanning had made major contributions to Germany's national security.
Open questions
Deutsche Welle reports that European intelligence services are assessing whether information previously shared with Germany may have been exposed. Deutsche Welle also reports that German media say many of the documents under investigation were briefings prepared for the chancellery or other senior officials, rather than raw intelligence. Documents reportedly stolen from the BND included CIA material, though the CIA declined to comment.