(Washington) The young American soldier charged with having leaked confidential documents, in particular on the war in Ukraine, in an online forum pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.
Air National Guard recruit Jack Teixeira, 21, was arrested in April. Based on a base in Cape Cod, near Boston, where he held a role as a computer and communication specialist, he is accused of having published classified information on a discussion group of the social network Discord, which circulated by the following on other social networks.
He faces six counts of possession and dissemination of information relating to national defense. Each of them is liable to a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
The young man appeared before a judge in Worcester, Massachusetts on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty according to court documents.
His lawyer asked that he be released pending trial, which the magistrate refused.
The images of the arrest of Jack Teixeira by the federal police outside his family home had gone around the world, a few days after the revelations of these leaks in the American press.
The secret documents had notably revealed the concerns of the American intelligence services as to the viability of a Ukrainian counter-offensive against Russian forces. They also suggested that Washington collect intelligence on its closest allies, including Israel and South Korea.
The case embarrassed Washington and raised questions about possible security breaches, because the young soldier had a secret defense clearance allowing him access to this sensitive information despite his low rank.