state secrets privilege

U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos of the Southern District of New York is considering whether to dismiss a private defamation lawsuit against an Iran sanctions group on national security grounds. During oral argument today, both the plaintiff's lawyer and U.S. Attorney Michael Byars said there has been no other cases in which the government has been able to assert the state secrets privilege without giving reason, Reuters' Emily Flitter reports. Ramos has been asked to dismiss the lawsuit without the government disclosing how national security is implicated in a lawsuit "by Greek businessman Victor Restis against a non-profit group for defamation. The group, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), accused him of illegally exporting oil from Iran."