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| President Obama commutes the most of Chelsea Manning’s prison sentence | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| President Obama has commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning, the former army intelligence analyst who was convicted of leaking classified military documents to Wikileaks and sentenced to 35-years in prison. | President Obama has commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning, the former army intelligence analyst who was convicted of leaking classified military documents to Wikileaks and sentenced to 35-years in prison. |
| The 29-year-old whistleblower will be released in five months, on 17 May of this year, instead 2024, The New York Times reports. | |
| Since her incarceration, the former US Army soldier who was known as Bradley Manning, attempted suicide twice last year and went on a hunger strike at the US Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. She continued her protest for less than a week until doctors allowed her to receive gender reassignment surgery. Still, a military doctor refused to change her gender on her military records. | |
| Mr Obama on Tuesday commuted a total of 209 commutations and 64 pardons. Over the course of eight years, he’s commuted a total of 1,385 individuals, the most issued by any president in US history. He’s also granted a total of 212 pardons. | |
| “While the mercy the President has shown his 1,597 clemency recipients is remarkable, we must remember that clemency is an extraordinary remedy, granted only after the President has concluded that a particular individual has demonstrated a readiness to make use of his or her second chance,” White House Counsel Neil Eggleston wrote in a statement. | “While the mercy the President has shown his 1,597 clemency recipients is remarkable, we must remember that clemency is an extraordinary remedy, granted only after the President has concluded that a particular individual has demonstrated a readiness to make use of his or her second chance,” White House Counsel Neil Eggleston wrote in a statement. |
| “Only Congress can achieve the broader reforms needed to ensure over the long run that our criminal justice system operates more fairly and effectively in the service of public safety. | “Only Congress can achieve the broader reforms needed to ensure over the long run that our criminal justice system operates more fairly and effectively in the service of public safety. |
| The American Civil Liberties Union has pressured the current presidential administration to commute Manning’s sentence. Additionally, a recent White House petition called on Mr Obama to commute Manning’s sentence has reached well over 100,000 signatures. | |
| Just last week, Julian Assange agreed to be extradited to the United States if President Obama commuted Manning’s sentence. “If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case.” | Just last week, Julian Assange agreed to be extradited to the United States if President Obama commuted Manning’s sentence. “If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case.” |
| Following Tuesday's announcement, House Speaker Paul Ryan condemned the president's decision to commute Manning’s sentence. | |
| “This is just outrageous. Chelsea Manning’s treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nation’s most sensitive secrets,” he wrote in a statement. “President Obama now leaves in place a dangerous precedent that those who compromise our national security won’t be held accountable for their crimes.” |