Judge rejects bail for CIA worker charged with disclosing secrets about Israel and Iran
A magistrate judge previously determined that Asif Rahman could be released while awaiting trial.
TroibNews 
A federal judge denied the release of a CIA employee on Wednesday, who is facing charges for disclosing top secret intelligence regarding Israel's plans to retaliate against Iran following a series of missile strikes in October.
Last week, a magistrate judge had determined that Asif Rahman, 34, could be released while awaiting trial on two counts of violating the Espionage Act for retaining and transmitting classified information to an unauthorized person.
However, after an hourlong hearing in a federal court in Alexandria, U.S. District Judge Patricia Giles reversed the decision for release, citing Rahman as a flight risk and a danger to the community.
Prosecutors noted last week that Israel had postponed its retaliation against Iran as a result of the leaked information. “The material that he has in his mind and that he has already revealed is highly relevant to foreign adversaries,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Edwards.
Giles concurred that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East heightened the seriousness of the charges against Rahman, stating, “I take the government’s point that this is a kinetic situation. It’s a volatile situation … and that creates a different danger,” referring to her views as an appointee of President Joe Biden.
Rahman’s defense team pointed out that U.S. officials, including a spokesperson for the National Security Council, had minimized the sensitivity of the leaked information and its significance.
Edwards advised Giles to disregard such statements, arguing they were made to weaken U.S. adversaries and did not reflect the “true nature” of the intelligence involved in Rahman's case.
Defense attorney Amy Jeffress proposed a plan in which Rahman’s family would restrict his access to social media and the internet. However, Giles dismissed this as insufficient to mitigate the risk of disclosing national security secrets that Rahman possesses due to his CIA role. “It’s possible to limit someone’s computer access, but you can’t stop him from talking,” she noted.
Following the hearing, Jeffress informed reporters that Rahman intends to appeal the detention order.
Many of Rahman’s relatives and friends were present at the hearing, including former Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr., who attended Yale alongside Rahman’s father, private equity investor Muhit Rahman.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
Last week, a magistrate judge had determined that Asif Rahman, 34, could be released while awaiting trial on two counts of violating the Espionage Act for retaining and transmitting classified information to an unauthorized person.
However, after an hourlong hearing in a federal court in Alexandria, U.S. District Judge Patricia Giles reversed the decision for release, citing Rahman as a flight risk and a danger to the community.
Prosecutors noted last week that Israel had postponed its retaliation against Iran as a result of the leaked information. “The material that he has in his mind and that he has already revealed is highly relevant to foreign adversaries,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Edwards.
Giles concurred that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East heightened the seriousness of the charges against Rahman, stating, “I take the government’s point that this is a kinetic situation. It’s a volatile situation … and that creates a different danger,” referring to her views as an appointee of President Joe Biden.
Rahman’s defense team pointed out that U.S. officials, including a spokesperson for the National Security Council, had minimized the sensitivity of the leaked information and its significance.
Edwards advised Giles to disregard such statements, arguing they were made to weaken U.S. adversaries and did not reflect the “true nature” of the intelligence involved in Rahman's case.
Defense attorney Amy Jeffress proposed a plan in which Rahman’s family would restrict his access to social media and the internet. However, Giles dismissed this as insufficient to mitigate the risk of disclosing national security secrets that Rahman possesses due to his CIA role. “It’s possible to limit someone’s computer access, but you can’t stop him from talking,” she noted.
Following the hearing, Jeffress informed reporters that Rahman intends to appeal the detention order.
Many of Rahman’s relatives and friends were present at the hearing, including former Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr., who attended Yale alongside Rahman’s father, private equity investor Muhit Rahman.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
