After 10 weeks of legal argument, today - Wednesday 21 August 2013, Bradley Manning has been sentenced to serve 35 years in prison for giving over hundreds of thousands of classified government documents to WikiLeaks.
In a brief hearing at Fort Meade, Md., Col. Denise Lind, a military judge, didn't offer any explanation for the sentence.
WikiLeaks said the 35-year jail term was a "strategic victory" as it meant he was eligible for parole in less than nine years.
"Significant strategic victory in Bradley Manning case," WikiLeaks said on its official Twitter feed.
In a pretrial statement, Bradley Manning said he believed releasing the information "could spark a domestic debate on the role of our military and foreign policy in general, as well as it related to Iraq and Afghanistan."
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But Bradley Manning reportedly expressed remorse at a sentencing hearing held last week, saying he was "sorry that my actions hurt people," and "sorry that they hurt the United States." However, Manning also said he believed at the time his actions would help people.
Wikileaks posted a statement in response, saying Manning’s court martial was "pursued with unprecedented prosecutorial zeal" and that his "apology was extracted by force."
Wikileaks added, "In a just court the U.S. government would be apologizing to Bradley Manning."
David Coombs - Manning attorney is expected to hold a press conference later Wednesday, during which he will “respond to the sentence and discuss upcoming legal avenues of redress for his client,” according to a press release from the Bradley Manning Support Network, an organization that has supported his legal defense.
According to the group, Manning’s defense will immediately pursue a clemency appeal, and the Support Network’s website will soon contain a copy of his application for a presidential pardon.
Source: techhive.com
