Former German intelligence chief Hanning suspected of spying for Azerbaijan

Spying suspicions against former BND chief

Former German intelligence chief Hanning, detained on espionage charges, may have passed confidential information to representatives of Azerbaijani security services. This is reported by the German publication Der Spiegel, citing internal sources.

The role of secret materials and analytical data

Investigators believe that Hanning used secret materials obtained from a former BND colleague to prepare an analytical report. According to the investigation, this information was passed to an employee of the Azerbaijani intelligence service. Such actions may indicate the systematic transfer of data of strategic significance.

Links with the Azerbaijani side

It has been established that Hanning maintained regular contacts with representatives of Azerbaijan. He was also a member of the leadership of the "German-Azerbaijani Forum", which further exacerbates suspicions of bilateral links going beyond diplomatic or business contacts.

Azerbaijan's reaction

In response to the Der Spiegel publication, Azerbaijani authorities lodged an official protest through diplomatic and security service channels to the German Chancellery and the German Foreign Ministry. The Azerbaijani Commission on Media and Language called the dissemination of information without reference to official sources "unacceptable information manipulation".

Quote from a source

“The documents suggest that Hanning may have provided classified intelligence to Azerbaijani officials based on BND materials obtained from a former colleague.” (The documents suggest that Hanning may have provided classified intelligence to Azerbaijani officials based on BND materials obtained from a former colleague.)