IANS | 29 Apr, 2024
A German military officer charged with espionage for allegedly
providing information to a Russian intelligence service goes on trial on
Monday.
The defendant, who holds the rank of Captain, had worked at the
Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and
In-Service Support (BAAINBw).
The Koblenz-based institution is
responsible for equipping the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces, with
equipment and weapons, as well as developing, testing and procuring
defence technology.
Since May 2023, the man is said to have
offered to cooperate with the Russian consulate general in Bonn and the
Russian embassy in Berlin on several occasions and on his own
initiatives.
Prosecutors say that the defendant, who is identified
only as Thomas H due to Germany's strict privacy laws, handed over
information with the intent it be used by Russian intelligence. There
are no indications that he received money in return.
Details about what information he may have passed along have not been revealed.
Germany
has been one of Ukraine's biggest military supporters in the face of
Russia's ongoing invasion. The country's security authorities say that
they have stepped up their efforts to combat espionage by Russian
services.
Federal police officers took the Captain into custody in Koblenz last August. Prosecutors pressed charges in March.
His trial is to begin at the Dusseldorf Higher Regional Court at 0900 (GMT).