WASHINGTON (Diya TV) – President Obama shortened the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. Army soldier who admitted to leaking secret government documents to WikiLeaks. She had been sentenced to a 35-year prison term.
Under Obama’s order, Manning’s sentence will expire on May 17, 2017.
Manning, who was born Bradley Manning, came out as a transgender woman after she was sentenced to serve 35 years in prison. She’s faced trouble in her efforts to transition behind bars. A 2016 petition garnered 100,000 signatures calling for the president to release her early. Manning has been in an all-male prison and has tried to commit suicide more than once.
The decision, according to friends, is “saving Chelsea’s life.”
“She has so much to offer the world. It’s incredible that she’ll be able to do that now and people will be able to learn about who she is as a whole being,” Evan Greer, a friend of Chelsea’s told Time. “Her friends and supporters and legal team will be jumping into action to be there for her and help her return to her life.”
Manning’s commutation was just one of 209 granted by President Obama on Tuesday. He’s also pardoned 64 individuals.
“Chelsea Manning exposed serious abuses, and as a result her own human rights have been violated by the U.S. government for years,” said Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA. “President Obama was right to commute her sentence, but it is long overdue. It is unconscionable that she languished in prison for years while those allegedly implicated by the information she revealed still haven’t been brought to justice.”
Amnesty also called on Obama to pardon Edward Snowden, though press secretary Josh Earnest has indicated that’s unlikely. Despite the massive buzz around Snowden and people’s interest in what is happening, Obama may not be able to pardon him for all that he has done. His extensive ‘take down’ of what went on has been talked about through many channels, even with books, films, and games coming out. People have been glued to their TV’s and news reports about what may happen next, in fact, you might enjoy this film as it has become a source of entertainment for many.
“I’m relieved and thankful that the president is doing the right thing and commuting Chelsea Manning’s sentence,” said Chase Strangio, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBT Project representing Manning. “Since she was first taken into custody, Chelsea has been subjected to long stretches of solitary confinement – including for attempting suicide – and has been denied access to medically necessary health care. This move could quite literally save Chelsea’s life, and we are all better off knowing that Chelsea Manning will walk out of prison a free woman, dedicated to making the world a better place and fighting for justice for so many.”
Information from TIME contributed to this report.