No end in sight for German spy trial as ex-spymaster takes stand again

More than two and a half years into the trial of a German intelligence official suspected of spying for Russia, no end is in sight to proceedings.

Bruno Kahl, the former head of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), appeared as a witness again on Monday on the 168th day of proceedings.

Kahl, 64, is now serving as Germany's ambassador to the Vatican in Rome. He was first heard as a witness at Berlin's Higher Regional Court more than two years ago.

At the time, the central question was what damage the alleged Russian espionage had caused. Kahl described it then as a "catastrophe." 

The latest questioning, held initially in open court, focused primarily on when the former intelligence chief learned of the suspicion that information may have been passed on, what steps were then taken to establish who was behind it, and how the BND employee came under suspicion.

Few details emerged, however: As much of the information involved is classified, the hearing was open to the public only at the outset.

The main defendant is the BND employee, who has been in pre-trial detention since December 2022. 

The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office accuses Carsten L, 56, and his alleged accomplice of treason. 

In the middle of the Ukraine war, the two are alleged to have passed secret documents and information from the German foreign intelligence service to the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB in 2022.