Intelligence files from the BND

Journalist or informant?

The current case involving legendary reporter Peter Scholl-Latour reveals how precarious the situation can be.


Scholl-Latour helped Germans understand the world. As a reporter, he traveled to crisis zones and war-torn regions. He journeyed with Ayatollah Khomeini to Iran—and for two hours, he was officially a “Guardian of the Constitution” of the Islamic Republic of Iran. His assessments of global politics often proved accurate.

But investigative journalist Florian Flade has obtained documents that suggest a striking closeness between Peter Scholl-Latour and the BND. Previously classified files identify Scholl-Latour as a source for the BND.

“It was a give-and-take of information, insights, and impressions from relevant regions—valuable for both Scholl-Latour and the BND,” says the agency today.

So, was this just business as usual?
What role did Peter Scholl-Latour really play for the intelligence service?
Florian Flade comments:

“We’re not auxiliary sheriffs—not for prosecutors, not for the police, and certainly not for intelligence agencies.”



(IN GERMAN)