Court finds former German cyber chief was falsely accused of associating with Russian spies

Arne Schönbohm, the former head of Germany’s federal cybersecurity office ousted in a scandal two years ago, won a victory in court on Thursday against the television show that triggered his departure by falsely alleging he was associated with Russian spies.

The Munich Regional Court made a preliminary assessment against a late-night satirical program, ZDF Magazin Royale, which made a series of allegations against Schönbohm in October 2022, including that he had links to a business connected to Moscow’s intelligence services, ultimately prompting his dismissal.

Schönbohm is now suing ZDF — and, in a separate case, his former employer the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) — over what he says was his unfair dismissal in the wake of the broadcast. He is seeking an injunction against ZDF making false statements and €100,000 in compensation for reputational damage.

According to the Munich court, as reported by Süddeutsche Zeitung, the show’s reportage was false in the manner it presented Schönbohm’s links to Russia, and its presenter falsely suggested that Schönbohm’s position at the BSI posed a risk to German cybersecurity.

Schönbohm was subsequently replaced at the BSI by Claudia Plattner, a trained mathematician who was formerly the director general for information systems at the European Central Bank.

Even at the time of Schönbohm’s suspension, questions were being raised about the Interior Ministry head Nancy Faeser’s decision to remove him from office. A detailed report in Der Spiegel contradicted several of the fundamental allegations included in the ZDF show, while a later report in BILD revealed an internal memo stating that the Interior Ministry had intended to remove him from office.

A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry said the decision was made because “the allegations, which are well-known and widely discussed in the media […] have permanently damaged the public’s necessary trust in the neutrality and impartiality of the conduct of his office as president of the most important German cyber security authority.”