President Barack Obama shortened the sentence of Chelsea Manning, who leaked classified government and military documents to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks.
Breaking News: Chelsea Manning will be freed in May. President Obama is commuting her sentence. https://t.co/ExWbefuraf
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 17, 2017
The New York Times reports that under the terms of Obama's commutation, Manning is set to be freed in five months rather than in 2045.
She has been jailed for nearly seven years, and her 35-year sentence was by far the longest punishment ever imposed in the United States for a leak conviction.
Obama’s decision rescues Manning from an uncertain future as a transgender woman incarcerated at the male military prison in Kansas, according to The New York Times.
She was known as Bradley Manning at the time of her 2010 arrest and attempted suicide twice last year.
The president pardoned 64 people and granted commutation of sentence to 209 others, including Manning, on Tuesday.
Most of the other people receiving commutations were serving sentences for nonviolent drug offenses.
BREAKING: With 209 commutations and 64 pardons, @POTUS just gave 273 Americans a second chance. Learn more → https://t.co/t6Cs7NVqFA pic.twitter.com/FYrxSdqq8Q
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 17, 2017
Most of the other people receiving commutations were serving sentences for nonviolent drug offenses.
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