(Image source from: U.S. biggest whistle-blower gets stiffest punishment})

U.S. military court has sentenced Pfc. Bradley Manning 35 long years of imprisonment after he was indicted of leaking the largest cache of classified information to anti-secrecy group, WikiLeaks.  He has been found guilty of 20 of the 22 charges, including violations of the Espionage Act, for copying and disseminating classified military field reports, State Department cables, and assessments of detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He, however, has been absolved of the most  grave charge — aiding the enemy.

Manning, dubbed as one of the biggest whistle-blowers in the history of U.S., has been charged with stealing and circulating 750,000 pages of classified documents and videos to WikiLeaks. His leaks exposed war crimes and torture — matters that are of great interest and importance to public.

“The long prison term is likely to comfort the national security officials who have been nonplussed by the subsequent leaks from former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. Manning’s conviction might also encourage the government to bring charges against the man who was instrumental in the publication of the documents, Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks,” wrote the Washington Post.

“The message won’t be lost for everyone in the military,” said Steven Bucci, director of the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation. “When you sign a security clearance and swear oaths, you actually have to abide by that. It is not optional.”

Civil liberties groups condemned the judge’s decision.

“When a soldier who shared information with the press and public is punished far more harshly than others who tortured prisoners and killed civilians, something is seriously wrong with our justice system,” said Ben Wizner, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project. “This is a sad day for Bradley Manning, but it’s also a sad day for all Americans who depend on brave whistleblowers and a free press for a fully informed public debate.”

“Manning will receive 31 / 2 years of credit for time served in pretrial confinement and for the abusive treatment he endured in a Marine brig at Quantico, making him eligible for parole in seven years. He will serve his sentence at the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan,” Washington Post further revealed.

AW: Suchorita Dutta