ISTANBUL

A former CIA analyst was sentenced to 37 months in prison for unlawfully transmitting top secret national defense information, the US Justice Department said in a statement Wednesday.

Asif William Rahman, 34, pleaded guilty in January to two counts of willfully retaining and transmitting top secret defense information after authorities arrested him at work in November 2024.

The department said Rahman on Oct. 17, 2024 removed the documents from CIA facilities, photographed them and transmitted the materials to individuals "he knew were not entitled to receive it."

The leaked documents appeared publicly on multiple social media platforms by Oct. 18, complete with classification markings.

The department said Rahman continued accessing and printing classified materials through November 2024, repeatedly transmitting top secret and compartmented information to multiple unauthorized recipients.

Rahman worked for the CIA since 2016 and held top secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information until authorities terminated his employment following his arrest.