A U.S. district court judge on Wednesday ordered that Asif Rahman, a CIA analyst accused of leaking classified information about Israel’s preparations to respond to Iran’s Oct. 1 missile attacks, remain in detention pending trial.
Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia overturned a ruling by a magistrate judge that would have allowed Rahman, 34, from Vienna, Va., to await trial under restricted conditions, according to the Associated Press.
This image provided by the Guam Department of Corrections shows Asif William Rahman, who worked for the U.S. government, was arrested by the FBI in Cambodia, and now is charged with leaking classified information assessing Israel's earlier plans to attack Iran. (Guam Department… pic.twitter.com/8mQ7qjWg9x
— Chengchon Son (@sonchengchon) November 15, 2024
Rahman faces charges of willful retention and transmission of national defense information after allegedly sharing classified documents on the Telegram messaging app in October.
Rahman, who worked at the U.S. embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, was arrested by FBI agents in Cambodia and made his initial court appearance in Guam last month.
At Wednesday’s hearing, prosecutor Troy Edwards argued that Rahman’s actions were ideologically motivated, though he did not specify the ideology in question. Edwards highlighted evidence found during Rahman’s arrest, including eight pages of notes containing “to do” lists. One list featured large blocks of encrypted text and an unencrypted sentence referencing U.S. missile capabilities. The encrypted text remains undeciphered. Another list included headings such as “Run” and “Contingencies.”
The leaked documents reportedly caused Israel to delay its planned retaliatory strikes on Iran. On Oct. 1, Iran fired more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel, marking its second direct attack on the Jewish state. Most missiles were intercepted by the Israel Defense Forces, with support from the U.S. and Jordanian militaries. The only reported casualty was a Palestinian man from Gaza, struck by missile debris near Jericho in the Jordan Valley.
Israel carried out retaliatory airstrikes on Oct. 26, targeting 20 sites in Iran. The strikes reportedly dismantled key radar systems, disrupted Iran’s missile production capabilities and neutralized its air defenses.
Rahman’s attorney, Amy Jeffress, cited anonymous sources in media reports to argue that the leak’s impact had been exaggerated. Following the hearing, Jeffress stated her intention to appeal the detention order.
Prosecutors described the leak as highly dangerous, writing in court documents: “It is hard to overstate what other circumstances present graver risks of danger to human life than unilaterally transmitting information related to plans for kinetic military action between two countries.”
