Jean-Louis Jeanmaire
Encyclopedia
Jean-Louis Jeanmaire was a brigadier
in the Swiss army
who passed highly classified
, but rather insensitive, Swiss military secrets to the Soviet Union
from 1962 up until his retirement at 65 in 1975. He was recruited as a spy by Colonel Vassily Denissenko, the Soviet air attaché
.
He never accepted money for the information he passed to the Soviets; his motivation appeared to be the result of bitterness at being passed over for promotion.
He was sentenced to a prison term of eighteen years but served only twelve due to good conduct. After his release in 1988, he agitated vigorously to clear his name, and there is doubt about the extent of his guilt, as evidenced by the fact that he was chosen to give the 1st of August speech at Vue des Alpes
in 1990.
Jeanmaire died 1992 in Bern.
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
in the Swiss army
Military of Switzerland
The Swiss Armed Forces perform the roles of Switzerland's militia and regular army. Under the country's militia system, professional soldiers constitute about 5 percent of military personnel; the rest are male citizen conscripts 19 to 34 years old...
who passed highly classified
Classified information
Classified information is sensitive information to which access is restricted by law or regulation to particular groups of persons. A formal security clearance is required to handle classified documents or access classified data. The clearance process requires a satisfactory background investigation...
, but rather insensitive, Swiss military secrets to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
from 1962 up until his retirement at 65 in 1975. He was recruited as a spy by Colonel Vassily Denissenko, the Soviet air attaché
Air attaché
An air attaché is an Air Force officer who is part of a diplomatic mission; this post is normally filled by a high-ranking officer.An air attaché typically represents the chief of his home air force in the foreign country where he serves. The day-to-day responsibilities include maintaining contacts...
.
He never accepted money for the information he passed to the Soviets; his motivation appeared to be the result of bitterness at being passed over for promotion.
He was sentenced to a prison term of eighteen years but served only twelve due to good conduct. After his release in 1988, he agitated vigorously to clear his name, and there is doubt about the extent of his guilt, as evidenced by the fact that he was chosen to give the 1st of August speech at Vue des Alpes
Vue des Alpes
Vue des Alpes is a high mountain pass in the Jura Mountains in the canton ofNeuchâtel.It connects La Chaux-de-Fonds and Neuchâtel...
in 1990.
Jeanmaire died 1992 in Bern.
Literature
- Urs Widmer: Jeanmaire: ein Stück Schweiz. Verlag der Autoren, Frankfurt am Main 1992 – ISBN 3-88661-136-1 (play)
- John le CarréJohn le CarréDavid John Moore Cornwell , who writes under the name John le Carré, is an author of espionage novels. During the 1950s and the 1960s, Cornwell worked for MI5 and MI6, and began writing novels under the pseudonym "John le Carré"...
: Unbearable peace. Harmondsworth 1991 – ISBN 0-14-015204-0 - Jürg Schoch: Fall Jeanmaire, Fall Schweiz. Wie Politik und Medien einen «Jahrhundertverräter» fabrizierten. «hier + jetzt», Verlag für Kultur und Geschichte, Baden 2006 – ISBN 3-03919-026-1