Germany releases, deports woman convicted of spying for Russia; husband remains in custody

BERLIN – German authorities have released a woman convicted of spying for Russia and deported her after she served half of her prison sentence.

Heidrun Anschlag and her husband Andreas, known only by the fake names on the Austrian passports they used to enter Germany, were arrested in 2011 and sentenced to 5 ½ and 6 ½ years respectively in July 2013. They were convicted of spying for Russia over more than two decades, handing over European Union and NATO documents.

A spokeswoman for German federal prosecutors, speaking on condition of anonymity because of department rules, said Saturday prosecutors agreed to waive the remainder of Heidrun's sentence in view of her deportation. She couldn't say when the woman was freed or where she was sent.

The woman's husband remains in prison.