Former German soldier jailed for spying for Russia
Al JazeeraMay 21
German Military Officer Sent to Prison for Spying for Russia
Image copyright: Sean Gallup/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images Europe
The Facts
A German military officer was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for sharing sensitive information with Russia, including photographs of munitions training systems and aircraft technology.
The 54-year-old defendant is identified only as Thomas H., and was arrested last August after he supplied the Russian consulate in Bonn with documents to be passed along to Russian intelligence.
The Spin
Left narrative
It seems like Russian propaganda spread on social media and boosted by the far-right AfD party caused a German military officer to betray his country and spy for the Kremlin. The far-right has openly opposed materially supporting Ukraine as it fights off Russia's invasion, and the AfD has flirted with explicitly pro-Putin groups. Russian influence is endangering Germany, and far-right parties like the AfD present an imminent threat to European support for democracy.
Right narrative
The liberal globalist establishment has labeled dissidents as being "Pro-Russia" for nearly a decade, and now the German regime is trying to take down the AfD party using the same tired narratives. The establishment across Western countries is deathly afraid of grassroots opposition to open borders policies and endless wars. Recycling Cold War rhetoric is an easy crutch that the regime has relied on, but the tactic is wearing thin.