Law & Justice
German ex-spy chief kept in jail in treason case
A court ordered former German spy chief August Hanning to remain in jail after his arrest on suspicion of espionage and treason.
Hanning, 80, led Germany's BND foreign intelligence service from 1998 to 2005. He was arrested along with a former deputy who allegedly supplied him with secret files.
Prosecutors say Hanning illegally obtained agency secrets after becoming a private-sector consultant, and that some of the material may have been passed to foreign spies.
Update
August Hanning is 80 and led Germany's BND foreign intelligence service from 1998 to 2005.
A former deputy was arrested with Hanning and allegedly supplied him with secret files.
Prosecutors say Hanning illegally obtained agency secrets after becoming a private-sector consultant.
Prosecutors say some of the secrets may have been passed to foreign spies.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 October 2026 at 12:13:52 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The supplied information does not state which foreign spies may have received the material.
The allegations have not been presented as proven.
Source
AFP news report published on .