AP reported Tuesday afternoon that President Barack Obama officially commuted the 35-year sentence of Chelsea Manning. Manning (born Bradley Manning) was charged and convicted in 2013 under the Espionage Act for leaking classified military documents and diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks.
President Obama announced that Manning would be freed on May 17, 2017.
Manning initially contacted WikiLeaks in November 2009 when the website published 570,000 pager messages on the September 11, 2001 attacks. In February 2010, she passed along what are now known as the Iraq and Afghanistan logs, along with the now infamous “Collateral murder” video. She also downloaded and sent hundreds of thousands of diplomatic cables.
U.S. officials have expressed interest in WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s extradition for releasing these files to the public. However, Assange has been living in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since 2012. He also faces extradition to Sweden for sexual assault allegations. Assange has maintained that the Swedish government would just hand him over to the United States.
Yet, on January 12, WikiLeaks posted a tweet claiming that if Obama granted Manning clemency, Assange would agree to U.S. extradition “despite clear unconstitutionality of DOJ case.”
If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case https://t.co/MZU30SlfGK
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) January 12, 2017
So is it going to happen?
Well, that remains to be seen. While WikiLeaks is declaring victory on Twitter, there is no confirmation on whether or not Assange will surrender himself for extradition after 5 years in the Ecuadorian Embassy. However, that seems to be the most popular question from Twitter users after WikiLeaks tweeted about Manning’s clemency.
@wikileaks So you're gonna accept the extradition, right?
— Igor Derysh (@IgorDerysh) January 17, 2017
@wikileaks Will Assange still surrender? https://t.co/5400VufLys
— Joshua/יהושע (@joshuazakariya) January 17, 2017
@wikileaks What does that mean for Julian #assange in light of that statement made earlier this month?
— Dr. Roy Schestowitz (@schestowitz) January 17, 2017
Update 1/17/17 6:14 PM: On Twitter, WikiLeaks says Julian Assange’s lawyer says he intends to stand by everything he has said.
Assange lawyer @themtchair on Assange-Manning extradition 'deal': "Everything that he has said he's standing by."
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) January 18, 2017
Manning is serving her 35-year sentence in solitary confinement. She has made two suicide attempts.