The BND asserts it has evidence linking SARS-CoV-2 to a laboratory incident in Wuhan, raising questions about the response from German leadership.
The German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) has reportedly concluded that the
coronavirus, which emerged in late 2019 and subsequently led to global lockdowns, originated from a laboratory in Wuhan, China.
According to media reports, the BND possesses clear evidence suggesting that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was released into the community due to a 'laboratory accident'.
This assertion is based on data collected during an intelligence operation known as Saaremaa, conducted in 2020.
The findings reportedly emphasize that both former Chancellor
Angela Merkel and her successor, Olaf Scholz, were briefed on this intelligence.
Allegations have surfaced that Merkel intervened to prevent the release of this information publicly, a position reportedly mirrored by Scholz.
A spokesperson for the German government stated that the government does not comment on the operations of intelligence agencies, thereby avoiding a direct response to the claims around the intelligence reports.
The BND's data related to the origins of the virus has been reviewed by a group of scientists commissioned by the German Chancellery for further examination.
Despite the lack of an official outcome from this evaluation, experts remain divided on the origins of the virus.
Many scientists assert that there is a missing 'final piece of evidence' that definitively proves the virus originated from a laboratory setting.
A significant portion of the scientific community continues to support the theory that the virus jumped to humans from animals in wet markets.
Prominent German virologist Christian Drosten highlighted that while Chinese researchers possess mechanisms to provide evidence supporting the natural emergence theory, no studies have been released to substantiate this claim to date.