Former BND chief Hanning is said to have prepared an analysis for the Azerbaijani intelligence service.

Former BND chief Hanning is alleged to have illegally obtained more than 2,000 classified documents. But what for? According to SPIEGEL research, confidential information may have been passed on to a contact in the Caucasus.

New details are emerging in the treason case surrounding former BND (Federal Intelligence Service) President August Hanning. According to information obtained by SPIEGEL, investigators are pursuing suspicions that the former head of Germany's foreign intelligence service had contact with an agent from the Caucasus republic of Azerbaijan.

According to the investigation, Hanning allegedly obtained classified documents through his former BND chief of staff, Manfred D., and used them to prepare a written analysis. According to the Federal Prosecutor's Office, this analysis was intended for an "employee of a foreign intelligence service." The investigating authorities did not disclose which country this individual worked for.

Known contacts in Azerbaijan

According to SPIEGEL information, the alleged client was the Azerbaijani intelligence officer. Whether the analysis prepared by Hanning actually reached its intended recipient is therefore the subject of ongoing investigations.

That the former high-ranking official Hanning maintained contacts with representatives of Azerbaijan is, however, undisputed. Hanning was a member of the board of the "German-Azerbaijani Forum," as evidenced by a statement from the association in July 2025.

The former head of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) and former state secretary was arrested on Tuesday morning. The arrest stems from an investigation by the Federal Prosecutor General on suspicion of treasonous espionage and the disclosure of state secrets. Hanning is also accused of attempted treason and espionage.

According to the investigation, Hanning allegedly obtained and passed on classified BND information illegally for years after the end of his civil service career.

Simultaneously with the raid on Hanning's home, investigators also arrested his former chief of staff, Manfred D., who is accused of aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage. According to investigators, D. allegedly supplied Hanning with approximately 2,000 documents, including numerous classified items, in exchange for money until June 2022. These documents are said to have been primarily templates for the BND (Federal Intelligence Service) leadership to prepare the so-called intelligence situation report for the Chancellor's Office.

When contacted by SPIEGEL, Hanning's lawyer declined to comment on the allegations against his client. Manfred D.'s defense team was initially unavailable for comment. If convicted of treasonous espionage, the 80-year-old former intelligence chief faces a prison sentence of six months to ten years.