Soldier who leaked US military secrets will remain in jail until trial

(Patria) - A US airman accused of leaking highly classified documents will remain in jail until his trial, a federal judge ruled, after prosecutors claimed he posed a constant risk to US national security, AFP reported.

Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old IT specialist for the National Air Guard, allegedly organized the most damaging leak of US classified documents in the past decade, publishing a trove of highly sensitive information on an online chat forum.

The documents, which quickly spread across the internet, pointed to US concerns about Ukraine's military capacity against the Russian invasion and showed that Washington had spied on allies Israel and South Korea, among other sensitive details.

Prosecutors argued that Teixeira could still have access to classified documents and that "hostile" nations could help him escape if he were released from jail, also stating that he had a history of making "violent" statements.

Teixeira's defense team said their client no longer had access to such documents and that the government was exaggerating the threat he posed. Teixeira was arrested last month after a week-long investigation and charged with two counts carrying maximum prison sentences of ten and five years, respectively.