Top U.S. Justice Department officials are worried that Asif William Rahman, a former CIA analyst who leaked reports about Israel’s plans for a strike on Iran, isn’t going to get a harsh enough sentence.

That’s why, his defense lawyers said, the government is making an “unprecedented” request for Rahman to get a sentence 50 percent longer than the high end of what guidelines recommend — despite his cooperation with prosecutors.

Prosecutors asked that Rahman get three years more than the five to six-year guideline because his leaks “could have” harmed national security. In doing so, they claimed in court that he used technical wizardry to cover his tracks, but a review by The Intercept suggests that he employed typical hobbyist apps.

Rahman’s lawyers, meanwhile, asked for the judge to reject the government’s request. They say Rahman was acting under the stress of a traumatic tour of duty in Iraq, personal tragedy, and a desire to advance peace in the Middle East. They say classified documents filed under seal provide no evidence that his leaks hurt U.S. interests.

“The government’s request for an upward variance in this case is unprecedented and contrary to the parties’ understanding of how both the government and Mr. Rahman would benefit from an early plea with full cooperation,” they said. “It is also a violation of the law, as it relies substantially on information that Mr. Rahman provided in the course of his cooperation. For these reasons, and to uphold the rule of law, the Court should disregard this belated, unlawful, and unjust recommendation.”

The dueling briefs filed in federal court over the past month offer deeper insight into the motivations of Rahman, whose leaks may have briefly delayed Israel’s strike on Iran, while highlighting high-level interest in the case from Donald Trump’s administration.

Rahman’s leaks briefly drew global attention last year during

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