Former BND president August Hanning has suffered a legal setback in the Block kidnapping case. The Hamburg Regional Court dismissed his complaint against searches. The investigations involve allegations of minor abduction and child pornographic materials.
August Hanning, former president of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), has suffered a defeat in the Block kidnapping case. In mid-September, investigators from the Hamburg Public Prosecutor's Office searched the offices of the security firm System 360, connected to Hanning, as well as his home in the Münsterland region. Hanning filed a complaint against these measures, which has now been dismissed.
The prosecutor's office informed the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND): “The complaints of the complainant H. against the search warrants of the Hamburg District Court were dismissed by decision of the Regional Court on December 17, 2024.” No reasons were given.
The searches are part of investigations into suspicions of joint serious abduction of minors or agreement thereto, as well as incitement to possession of child pornographic writings, as the prosecutor's office explained in September. Hanning and former LKA officer Thorsten M. are said to have received more than 100,000 euros in 2022 as those responsible for System 360 to bring Christina Block's children from Denmark to Germany. Both deny the allegations and also refute involvement in kidnapping plans on New Year's Eve 2023/2024.
Shortly after the searches, Hanning's lawyer stated: “a multitude of unlawful search warrants,” as it remains unclear on what suspicion moments the allegations are based. Christina Block and other suspects have been on trial at the Hamburg Regional Court since June last year for the alleged kidnapping of her children. The presumption of innocence applies.
For Hanning, the ordinary appeal path is largely exhausted; a constitutional complaint to the Federal Constitutional Court remains possible but involves high hurdles and low chances of success.
