Tallinn - Herman Simm, a former senior Estonian intelligence official found guilty of spying for Russia, was stripped of the honours he earned during his career by special order of Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves on Friday.

"President Ilves signed a resolution today to withdraw the Order of the White Star, Fourth Class from Herman Simm, who has been criminally convicted of treason," said an official statement.

Simm was found guilty of treason on February 9 and sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison. He was also ordered to pay a fine of more than 2 million dollars for selling state secrets to Russia over more than a decade.

Simm, who began his career at the Estonian Defence Ministry in 1995, was arrested in September 2008.

He served until 2006 as head of the security department at the Defence Ministry and had high-level access to secret information.

The Simm case caused a sensation in Estonia, reinforcing fears that a "new Cold War" is beginning between Russia and the West.

The Estonian head of state also decided to withdraw the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, Fifth Class from Risto Mikael Teinonen, who achieved notoriety after photographs appeared on the internet showing him wearing both a swastika and his Estonian state award.

President Ilves decided to withdraw the award from Teinonen, because it had been displayed "with the symbols of a country that occupied Estonia," the statement said. (dpa)