WikiLeaks says Obama clemency may have saved Manning's life

Chelsea Elizabeth Manning is a United States Army soldier who was convicted by court-martial in July 2013 of violations of the Espionage Act and other offenses after disclosing to WikiLeaks.

By PTI

Updated: Wednesday, January 18, 2017, 8:53 [IST]

London, Jan 18: WikiLeaks says President Barack Obama may have saved Chelsea Manning's life by granting the former Army intelligence analyst clemency, but adds that the decision doesn't make up for the harm she has suffered.

The statement came after Obama announced yesterday that Manning would be released May 17, cutting her sentence by almost 30 years. In a tweet soon after the announcement, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange thanked "everyone who campaigned for Chelsea Manning's clemency.

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Your courage & determination made the impossible possible." Assange didn't mention his earlier pledge that he would agree to US extradition if Obama granted clemency to Manning. But, Melinda Taylor, who serves on Assange's legal team, said he would not be going back on his word. She says: "Everything that he has said he's standing by."

PTI