Germany arrested a foreign intelligence service agent on Wednesday on suspicion of sharing state secrets with Russia this year, raiding his home and workplace as well as that of another person.
“The accused is suspected of state treason,” the federal prosecutors’ office said in a statement. “In 2022, he shared information that he came by in the course of his work with a Russian intelligence agency. The content is considered a state secret.”
The federal intelligence service (BND) had started its own internal investigation as soon as it became aware of the possibility of treason within its own ranks, BND head Bruno Kahl said. When these suspicions hardened up, it called in federal prosecutors.
Discretion was key going forwards, as any detail of the investigation that was made public could give the “opponent an advantage in its intent to harm Germany,” he said.
“With Russia, we are dealing with an actor where we must reckon with its ruthlessness and willingness to be violent.”
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