Former German Intelligence Chief August Hanning Arrested on Treason and Espionage Charges

August Hanning, former president of the German Federal Intelligence Service, arrives at the parliament building to testify in front of the committee investigating the NSA spying scandal, in Berlin, Germany, October 2, 2015. Prosecutors have announced that Germany’s former foreign spy chief has been arrested on suspicion of espionage and treason.

August Hanning, 80, is currently under investigation for attempted treason and acting as an agent for a foreign intelligence service, as confirmed by the Office of the Federal Public Prosecutor General on Tuesday. Hanning served as president of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service between 1998 and 2005 and was arrested in Bad Toelz-Wolfratshausen in southern Germany.

Additionally, his former chief of staff, partially identified as Manfred D, was arrested in Steinfurt in western Germany on suspicion of aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage. According to the prosecutor’s office, Hanning once used classified intelligence provided by Manfred D to draft an analysis for an officer of a foreign intelligence service.

Prosecutors noted that Manfred D also served as the chief of staff for Hanning’s successors between 2012 and 2026. He allegedly used his position to access confidential information, which was then passed on to Hanning in exchange for remuneration. Hanning subsequently utilized this information in his private consulting work.

The prosecutor's statement indicated that Manfred D provided Hanning with approximately 2,000 documents over the years, many of which contained classified information intended exclusively for internal use by the federal intelligence service, particularly for executive intelligence briefings.

Authorities have not yet revealed the identity of the foreign agent's country or who the two men were suspected of spying for, stating that it remains to be determined whether the material actually reached the intended recipient.

German MP Marc Henrichmann told the AFP news agency that Germany will not tolerate the betrayal of secrets. As the chair of the German parliament’s intelligence oversight committee, Henrichmann stated that anyone who allies themselves with the enemies of liberal democracy will be discovered.

Law enforcement officials are currently searching the premises of both Manfred D and Hanning across multiple locations, including the capital city of Berlin.