Former BND chief August Hanning arrested on espionage and treason suspicion
German federal prosecutors arrested former Federal Intelligence Service (BND) chief August Hanning on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2026, in North Rhine‑Westphalia, on suspicion of treasonous espionage, attempted treason and the unlawful acquisition of state secrets.
The arrests mark the first time a former head of Germany’s foreign intelligence agency has been detained for alleged spying, raising concerns about the security of classified information and the integrity of the BND’s internal controls.
Prosecutors allege that Hanning, 80, obtained classified documents from a former aide identified only as Manfred D. and used some of the material in private consulting work for a foreign intelligence service. They also say Hanning drafted an analysis for an officer of that service using the stolen intelligence.
Manfred D., who served as Hanning’s chief of staff and later as chief of staff to successive BND presidents from 2012 until March 2026, is accused of supplying approximately 2,000 documents to Hanning between 2010 and June 2022. The exchange was reportedly in return for remuneration.
The documents are said to include briefings prepared for regular intelligence meetings at the German Chancellery, as well as sensitive material on the Iranian nuclear programme, the Russian military, and other high‑level security assessments. All were marked for internal BND use only.
According to investigators, Hanning incorporated some of the classified information into analyses for his private consulting clients and, on at least one occasion, provided a full analysis to an officer of an unnamed foreign intelligence service. Prosecutors have not disclosed which foreign service was involved, though German media reports suggest it is not Russian or Chinese.
The investigation originated from a separate criminal probe into a 2024 child‑custody dispute involving businesswoman Christina Block. While searching Hanning’s home and offices in September 2025, officers found an electronic storage device containing secret BND documents, which were later referred to federal prosecutors.
Both Hanning and Manfred D. are expected to appear before judges at the Federal Court of Justice in the coming weeks, where a decision will be made on pre‑trial detention while the case proceeds.
