Gay German spy accused of betraying state secrets
A German spy is on trial accused of handing over secret documents to his lover.
The 42-year-old spy, named only as Anton K, reportedly began the affair with a Macedonian translator when he was posted to Kosovo in 2005.
He had been sent by the German secret service, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), to find informants.
The affair was discovered in 2007 when the spy’s wife realised he had removed her name from his life insurance policy and replaced it with the name of his lover, Murat A, 29.
Both men were arrested after the spy’s wife informed the BND.
Anton K is accused of giving Murat A access to a number of classified documents, one of which was British. Prosecutors in Munich allege that Murat A planned to pass them to crime groups or foreign powers.
Both men deny the charges, while their lawyers claim they are the victims of a homophobic witch-hunt. They have been permitted to live together near Stuttgart in Germany.
They are also accused of manipulating around £14,000 in expenses.
