Translated from German:
Did the German foreign intelligence service already have evidence of a laboratory accident in Wuhan in 2020 - and is still keeping it under wraps today? We can't find out.
DENN: The Federal Intelligence Service (BND) does not have to disclose its information about the possible origin of the coronavirus pandemic. This has now been decided by the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig.
A press publisher had sued for information - wanted to know what exactly the BND knew about the virus that had the world in its grip for years. But the judges say: public interests stand in the way. The BND's ability to function, even Germany's diplomatic relations with China - all of this is at risk if the secret service talks.
Court: “Conclusions about sources possible”
The judges in Leipzig stated the following reasons: "The BND has plausibly demonstrated that the information could impair its ability to function and the foreign interests of the Federal Republic of Germany. It would be possible to draw conclusions about sources of information, the capabilities and working methods of the BND if the alleged information were confirmed or denied."
Background: Back in March, the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” and “Die Zeit” reported that the BND considered a laboratory accident in Wuhan to be the most likely cause of the pandemic - and had been doing so since 2020! The report is said to have been commissioned by the Chancellery at the time. But what did the Chancellery do? It remained silent.
A cover-up scandal? Former Chancellor Angela Merkel indignantly rejected this.
Equally piquant: the publisher wanted to know from the BND whether a known virologist with close ties to the government had ever been subjected to a security check. This answer also remains secret - for reasons of privacy.
The ruling of the Federal Administrative Court means that the truth about the origin of the coronavirus remains a top secret file. Perhaps forever.
