Obama commutes Chelsea Manning's prison sentence

International Desk: President Barack Obama has commuted a 35-year prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the soldier who leaked thousands of secret documents to Wikileaks in 2010, setting her on track for release in May.

Wikileaks said last week that Julian Assange, site’s publisher, would agree to extradition to the US if Ms Manning were freed. It is unclear if Mr Assange, the subject of an espionage investigation, will follow through, though a member of his legal team said he stands by his statements.

Ms Manning is the most high-profile of 273 individuals granted clemency or presidential pardons on Tuesday,  Mr Obama’s third-to-last full day in office.

The decision is also the most controversial, with one Republican senator accusing Mr Obama of treating “a traitor like a martyr”.

“I don't understand why the president would feel special compassion for someone who endangered the lives of our troops, diplomats, intelligence officers, and allies,” Tom Cotton, the senator, said in a statement.

Paul Ryan, the speaker of the House, called Mr Obama's decision "outrageous".

"Chelsea Manning's treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nation's most sensitive secrets," he said. "President Obama now leaves in place a dangerous precedent that those who compromise our national security won't be held accountable for their crimes."

Meanwhile Amnesty International called the step “long overdue”, saying Ms Manning’s treatment had been “unconscionable”.

The White House had signalled that Ms Manning was being considered for clemency, contrasting her case with that of Edward Snowden, who also leaked sensitive documents to Wikileaks before fleeing to Russia.

“Chelsea Manning is somebody who went through the military criminal justice process, was exposed to due process, was found guilty, was sentenced for her crimes, and she acknowledged wrongdoing,” Josh Earnest, Mr Obama’s spokesman said last week.

Source: Agencies

risingbd/Dhaka/Jan 18, 2017/A K Azad