Judge Col. Denise Lind sentenced U.S. soldier Bradley Manning Aug. 21 to 35 years in a military prison for turning over more than 700,000 classified files to WikiLeaks, according to Reuters.
Military prosecutors had sought 60 years. Manning—who will be imprisoned at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kan.—could be eligible for parole in about a decade, after serving one-third of his prison term.
Manning acknowledged Aug. 14 that he “hurt people and hurt the United States” by leaking thousands of pages of classified documents, according to CNN. His statement followed testimony from a military psychologist who said Manning appeared to be under intense pressure as a male soldier struggling with gender-identity issues.
According to TheWrap.com, Manning’s attorney, David Coombs, has called on President Obama to pardon his client. Essentially, Coombs is asking for a pardon from the same government that prosecuted Manning.
In a statement, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said, “Manning’s trial and conviction is an affront to basic concepts of Western justice. … The only just outcome in Mr Manning’s case is his unconditional release, compensation for the unlawful treatment he has undergone, and a serious commitment to investigating the wrongdoing his alleged disclosures have brought to light.”
Actions around the country and internationally were being planned in response to the sentencing, with the Chicago event to take place at 6 p.m. at “The Bean” in Millennium Park, near Michigan Avenue and Washington Street.