A German citizen, suspected of being a Russian spy, is arrested for alleged treason

By Inke Kappeler, CNN

A German citizen who worked for the country’s foreign intelligence service was arrested Wednesday on charges of spying for Russia, according to the office of the German Federal Prosecutor General.

“The defendant is urgently suspected of treason,” a news release by the German Prosecutor General said of the defendant, named Carsten L.

The defendant, who is employed by the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), was charged in the arrest warrant with the following facts: “In 2022, he transmitted information he had obtained in the course of his professional activities to a Russian intelligence service. The content is a state secret within Section 93 of the Criminal Code,” according to the release.

It was not immediately clear whether he had been appointed a lawyer. CNN has sought response on that matter from the office of the German Prosecutor General.

Police searched the homes and workplaces of the defendant and another suspect. The investigation was conducted in close cooperation with the BND.

The accused was brought before the investigating judge of the Federal Supreme Court on Thursday, who ordered that he be remanded in custody.

In an annual speech outlining threats to the United Kingdom, the director general of the country’s security service said in November that 600 Russians officials had been expelled from Europe this year, 400 of whom his agency judged to be spies.

Norwegian police in October arrested an academic claiming to be a Brazilian citizen on suspicion of secretly spying for Russia, according to Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.

In June, Dutch authorities said they had thwarted an attempt by a Russian spy to gain access to the International Criminal Court (ICC) by posing as an intern.

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