The Russian FSB generously rewarded its agents in Germany.
The trial of a former employee of the German Foreign Intelligence Service continues in Germany (BND), which was paid at least 450,000 euros by the Russian intelligence service in exchange for information about the weapons the West was arming Ukraine with.
This is reported by Reuters.
The prosecutor's office accused former intelligence officer Carsten Linke and his accomplice, a German diamond dealer of Russian origin named Arthur Eller, of treason for selling classified information to the Russian FSB.
Addressing the two defendants, the chief prosecutor said that Linke agreed to help a wealthy Russian businessman, an acquaintance of Eller, obtain a residence permit in Germany, and also agreed to provide information to the FSB. According to him, the businessman, identified only as Mr. Mizaev, offered to “do something good for both of his countries.”
The indictment also alleges that Eller took smartphone photographs of secret documents printed by Linke and then passed the photos on to FSB officers during trips to Moscow.
Subsequently, the FSB gave them three specialized phones for espionage. Prosecutors said Eller also received hundreds of thousands of euros in cash to pay for his and Linke's services.
Both defendants deny the charges.
Linke's lawyer argued that his client was not shown confidential evidence against him and called the trial a “show trial.”
Much of the case, which raised serious questions about the sustainability of Germany's security system, was classified, forcing reporters to leave the courtroom.
The trial will last until the summer of 2024. High treason in Germany is punishable by up to life imprisonment.
Recall that a German intelligence officer suspected of high treason was detained on December 21, 2022, after which his apartment and workplace were searched. A warrant was later issued for his arrest.
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