Former German spy chief arrested for attempted treason, obtaining state secrets

August Hanning, former head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service, in 2006. Hanning has been detained on suspicion of attempted treason. | REUTERS

REUTERS

Oct 7, 2026

BERLIN – Former German spy chief August Hanning was detained on Tuesday on suspicion of attempted treason in a case that ranks among Germany’s biggest intelligence scandals since the Cold War.

Prosecutors accused him of paying for secret documents and using them in an analysis for a foreign spy service. They did not identify the intelligence service and it was not immediately clear whether the analysis reached its intended recipient.

The arrest of a former head of Germany’s foreign intelligence is unprecedented and could damage the country’s intelligence relationships with allied nations, according to a senior security lawmaker.

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