European intelligence services assess risks after former BND chief's arrest

European intelligence services are assessing possible damage from compromised information following the arrest of former German BND chief August Hanning. Reuters reported the review on October 8, citing intelligence officials.

RIA Novosti, summarising Reuters' report, said some services were reviewing risks to information previously shared with Germany. One official told Reuters that their country's agencies were already conducting a review and expressed hope that partner services were doing the same.

Germany's federal prosecutor announced Hanning's arrest on Tuesday, October 6. He is suspected of espionage, obtaining state secrets and attempted treason. Reports the following day said he had been placed in pretrial detention. A second suspect is his former chief of staff, Manfred D.

An official interviewed by Reuters said the material involved included CIA intelligence. That was an agency source's assertion rather than a published finding of the investigation. Hanning's arrest and the suspicions against him do not establish his guilt in court.