Chelsea Manning Ordered to Be Released from Prison

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA - MAY 16: Former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning addre
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Neil Munro

A judge has ordered the release of former soldier Chelsea Manning because federal officials no longer need Manning’s evidence for the investigation against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

The decision came a day after Manning reportedly attempted suicide. Manning was put in detention after the former soldier refused to testify against Assange, who posted secret information that was leaked to him by Manning.

In 2013, Manning was convicted of providing classified data to Assange and was sentenced to 35 years in jail by a military court. President Barack Obama subsequently released Manning in 2017.

The Washington Post reported:

The grand jury investigating the anti-secrecy group is no longer active, federal judge Anthony J. Trenga of the Eastern District of Virginia said.

“Ms. Manning’s appearance before the grand jury is no longer needed,” he wrote. “Her detention no longer serves any coercive purpose.”

Manning has been detained in the Alexandria Detention Center for 11 months in civil contempt for her refusal to testify. The judge’s order comes a day after the former Army private tried to commit suicide in jail. Authorities said they stepped in before serious harm occurred.

After allegedly leaking information to Assange, Manning declared that she was transgender. The declaration was widely applauded by progressives.

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