Former German spy chief suspected of spying for Azerbaijan

German magazine Der Spiegel reported Tuesday evening that former German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) chief August Hanning is suspected of gathering information for Azerbaijann. The report came hours after German prosecutors disclosed that Hanning, who headed Germany’s foreign intelligence service had been arrested on suspicion of espionage and treason. Authorities had said earlier that he was suspected of seeking to pass classified information to a foreign country’s intelligence service, prompting hours of speculation around the world over which country was involved.

Der Spiegel reported Tuesday evening that, according to information obtained by the magazine, the person who commissioned the classified information from Hanning was an Azerbaijani intelligence operative. Investigators are now examining whether a security analysis Hanning prepared for the Azerbaijani operative, using classified information obtained from a senior BND official, ultimately reached him.

The magazine noted that Hanning’s ties with Azerbaijani representatives are well documented. Among other things, he was a board member of the German-Azerbaijani Forum, as documented in an organization statement published in July 2025.