In one of his last moves in office, President Obama has commuted the 35-year prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the Army private who leaked a massive trove of military secrets to WikiLeaks.
The former intelligence analyst's prison sentence has been shortened to expire on May 17, 2017, according to a statement from the White House.
Her lawyers at the ACLU expressed relief after the decision, saying that Manning has already served more time behind bars than any other whistleblower in U.S. history, and under difficult conditions.
Also at the BBC and the New York Times.
Previously: Chelsea Manning Reportedly on Obama's Short List for Commutation; Assange Offers Himself in Trade
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(Score: 2) by isostatic on Wednesday January 18 2017, @11:56AM
Can the next president (Trump? Pence?) undo this commutation?
(Score: 2) by bradley13 on Wednesday January 18 2017, @12:13PM
IANAL, but I cannot imagine it would be possible to revoke a pardon or commutation.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 18 2017, @12:13PM
Double jeopardy jumbo mumbo.
Chelsea would need to be framed for murdering some guards or something.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday January 18 2017, @07:03PM
If they can't, I expect there will either A) be a new rule introduced swiftly, or B) they'll just say "fuck the whole thing" and do it anyway.
The notion that government is actually accountable to rules seems pretty shaky these days :P
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"