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March 13, 2020

Judge Orders Immediate Release of U.S. Army Whistleblower Chelsea Manning After 1 Year in Jail
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In the United States, U.S. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning will soon
be released from jail after one year behind bars on contempt charges for
refusing to cooperate in a federal grand jury investigation into Wiki
Leaks. The order for her immediate release comes one day after Manning
was hospitalized in Virginia after she reportedly attempted suicide at a
federal prison in Alexandria. On Thursday, Judge Anthony J. Trenga
wrote, "The court finds Ms. Manning's appearance before the grand jury
is no longer needed, in light of which her detention no longer serves
any coercive purpose." Judge Trenga, however, rejected a request to
cancel the fines imposed against Manning for refusing to testify.
Manning will now have to pay $256,000. In 2013, Manning was sentenced to
35 years in prison for leaking documents and video to Wiki Leaks showing
evidence of U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Obama
granted her clemency in 2017.


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