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Ulviyya Poladova

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The steady warming of relations between Azerbaijan and Germany in recent times appears to unsettle certain forces and circles. Viewed in the context of the Media and Broadcasting Council's statement, the information campaign now unfolding looks less like legitimate journalism and more like a calculated effort to damage that relationship.

As of October 6, German authorities detained August Hanning, the former head of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND). The investigation suspects him of espionage, the procurement of state secrets, and attempted treason. Detained alongside him was a former aide, Manfred D., who stands accused of aiding and abetting. According to the prosecutor's office, in 2010 Manfred D. and Hanning agreed on the regular transfer of intelligence information in exchange for payment. Over the course of several years, the former aide allegedly handed Hanning around 2,000 documents, many of which contained classified material intended for the BND's internal use. Investigators further believe that Hanning used the information he obtained in his private consulting activity.

These are serious charges, and they concern two individuals and their alleged arrangement. Nothing in the prosecution's own account points beyond that circle. Crucially, German prosecutors named no country whatsoever.

Despite that silence from the prosecution, Der Spiegel and other Western media leveraged this by pulling Azerbaijan's name into the affair without presenting a single fact or shred of evidence. The entire "argument" rests on one detail: that Hanning was a member of the German-Azerbaijani Forum (Deutsch-Aserbaidschanisches Forum, DAF). That is all.

This is a flimsy foundation on which to build an accusation against an entire state. The DAF is a public association that works to develop economic, cultural, scientific, and social ties between the two countries. It is entirely normal and fully lawful for the boards of such international forums to include prominent figures drawn from varied political and professional backgrounds. That is how friendship societies and bilateral platforms operate everywhere around the world.

August Hanning's membership in such an organisation in no way demonstrates that any espionage was conducted through it, or carried out in its name. The DAF is a transparent, legal platform that brings together different political parties, business communities, and the diplomatic corps. There is no indication that espionage was involved. Thus, to link one member's personal legal troubles to the organisation is simply illogical. It is an attempt to artificially draw Azerbaijan into a scandal to which it has no connection. As is often the case, some Western outlets appear to pursue their own agendas by portraying Azerbaijan in a negative light.

It is worth recalling who August Hanning is. He headed German intelligence under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (1998–2005). Those were the years in which the foundations were laid for Germany's deep economic and political dependence on Russia, a dependence whose consequences Europe has since had to confront at great cost. In other words, naming Azerbaijan may serve less as an accusation than as a distraction - a convenient way to steer public attention toward a partner country enjoying improving ties with Berlin, and away from more uncomfortable directions.

Reporting that blurs the line between a personal criminal case and the reputation of an entire country does a disservice to its readers and plays into the hands of those who would prefer Azerbaijan-Germany relations to stall. The responsible course is to let the German justice system establish the facts about Hanning and his aide and resist the temptation to fill the gaps with insinuation.