Washington, Dec 3
The US government has asked a federal court in Virginia to impose tight controls on classified material in the criminal case against Indian American strategic analyst Ashley J. Tellis, whose arrest this month sent ripples through policy and academic circles in Washington’s South Asian community.
In a filing submitted to the Eastern District of Virginia last week, federal prosecutors said the court is required under the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA) to “issue an order to protect against the disclosure of any classified information disclosed by the United States to any defendant in any criminal case in a district court of the United States.”
They told the judge the proposed protective order is necessary “to protect the national security” and would regulate discovery “by restricting the use and dissemination of classified documents and information obtained through discovery”.
Earlier in November, Tellis was arrested in Northern Virginia following a federal inquiry into his alleged handling of classified material. He made his initial appearance before a magistrate judge soon after his detention.
A respected figure in the Indian-American policy world, Tellis has been a familiar presence in debates on US–India relations, Asian security, and America’s strategic posture in the Indo-Pacific. His writings and government service made him a well-known voice across Washington’s think tanks and academic networks.
As per the court documents, Tellis and his attorneys have reviewed the document and agreed, at least initially, to proceed under its terms.
The government noted that “the defense consents to its terms for now, in the hope that the consent will accelerate the production of at least some of the classified documents.” However, his legal team has flagged “reservations about certain provisions of this order.”
The filing adds that the defence “reserves its right to challenge any decision by the government to deny access, for defence counsel or for the defendant, to certain classified documents”.
Tellis’s attorneys will be required to review any such material inside a Secure Area, a government-approved facility that cannot be used for ordinary conversations or electronic communications. “No classified documents, material, recordings, or other information may be removed from the Secure Area unless so authorized by the CISO,” the order says. Discussions involving classified information cannot take place over the phone, email, or the internet.
Tellis himself remains bound by a “continuing contractual obligation to the government not to disclose to any unauthorized person classified information known to him or in his possession,” and the government “is entitled to enforce that agreement”.
