German Intelligence Links COVID-19 Origin to Wuhan Lab Accident
The BND reportedly assessed with high probability that the pandemic stemmed from a lab incident, but findings were kept confidential by Merkel and Scholz administrations.
- The Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) concluded in 2020 that there was an 80-95% probability COVID-19 originated from a laboratory accident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.
- The assessment was based on intelligence gathered during a classified operation, codenamed ‘Saaremaa,’ which included scientific data and evidence of lab safety violations.
- Both the Merkel and Scholz administrations reportedly withheld the findings from public disclosure and did not inform key oversight bodies, such as the Parliamentary Control Panel or the WHO.
- External experts, including prominent scientists, are currently reviewing the BND’s findings, but no definitive conclusions have been reached yet.
- The Chinese government has consistently denied the lab-origin theory and restricted international investigations, while U.S. intelligence agencies remain divided on the virus's origins.