The German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) believes there is an 80-90% chance that the coronavirus accidentally leaked from a laboratory in China, according to German media reports. This information has now been revealed, although it was prepared in 2020 and had not been made public until now.
The report states that the BND had indications that the Wuhan Institute of Virology may have been experimenting with modifying viruses to make them more contagious to humans. However, there is no concrete evidence to support this theory.
China has denied these accusations and stated that the origin of COVID-19 should be determined by scientists, not political theories. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) investigations in 2021 suggested that the laboratory leak theory was highly unlikely. However, several intelligence agencies, such as the CIA, are now supporting the possibility of an accidental leak.
In 2020, the German Intelligence Service conducted an investigation called “Project Saaremaa” to examine the origins of COVID-19. This investigation considered the possibility of a laboratory leak but found insufficient evidence to confirm it. Possible security violations in the Wuhan laboratory were mentioned as potential contributing factors, reports BBC.
This report was a request from then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel and had not been published before. According to German media, the information was shared with the CIA in the fall of 2024.
A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the origin of COVID-19 should be investigated by scientists, not used for political purposes. China has requested that this issue not be manipulated.
As a result of COVID-19, 7 million people have died worldwide, although many experts believe the true number may be higher.
