By Tony O’Reilly-
A German military officer has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison after being convicted of espionage for passing internal documents to Russia and offering further cooperation.
The 54-year-old defendant, identified only as Thomas H. due to German privacy rules, was found guilty by the Duesseldorf state court of espionage and violating official secrets.
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Thomas H., who held the rank of captain and worked for the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support, acted independently when he provided internal documents to the Russian consulate in Bonn in May 2023.
The court determined that these documents were intended to be forwarded to Russian intelligence. Additionally, he had offered further cooperation and more documents from the German military, the Bundeswehr.
The court noted that Thomas H., who had no prior convictions, admitted to most of the charges against him, cooperated with the investigation, and expressed regret for his actions.
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It also considered his significant health problems at the time of the offenses.
In his testimony last month, Thomas H. stated that his actions were motivated by fear of a nuclear escalation of the war in Ukraine.
He revealed that he had been influenced by a pro-Russian social media influencer and a specific post that led him to approach the Russian consulate.
He also mentioned suffering from severe burnout, being overworked, and experiencing side effects from a COVID-19 vaccination.
The defendant also disclosed that he had applied for membership in the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party around the same time but later decided to leave.
This conviction comes amid heightened concerns about Russian espionage in Germany, particularly as the country remains a leading supplier of weapons to Ukraine.
In mid-April, two German-Russian men were arrested on suspicion of espionage. One of them was accused of planning attacks on potential targets in Germany, including U.S. military facilities, in an attempt to sabotage aid for Ukraine.
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