A US court has released Indian-American scholar Ashley Tellis on bail in an alleged espionage case. The 64-year-old expert on South Asian affairs is accused of keeping over 1,000 pages of classified defence documents in his Virginia home. Tellis, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, has worked in Washington’s foreign policy circles for over two decades.
The FBI arrested Tellis last week after finding the documents in his basement office. He faces a charge of unlawfully retaining national defence information, which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. His attorneys said he has fully cooperated with investigators and continues to uphold his lifelong commitment to US national security.
Prosecutors alleged that Tellis met Chinese officials multiple times, hinting at possible leaks. However, his defence team called these claims baseless, saying his meetings were part of normal diplomatic and scholarly work. They added that the so-called “red gift bag” from Chinese officials contained only tea — a common cultural gesture.
Tellis was released on a $1.5 million bond, secured by his family home. He remains under home confinement until his next court hearing on November 4.
