Image by Anarchimedia via Flickr
Chelsea Manning Support Network
January 17, 2017
President Obama has commuted all but four months of the remaining prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the former US Army Intelligence Analyst serving 35-years for releasing classified information. Chelsea’s attorney Nancy Hollander, who spoke with President Obama’s counsel earlier today, confirms that “Chelsea will walk out of Fort Leavenworth a free woman in four months, on May 17th.”
The Chelsea Manning Support Network applauds this decision by outgoing President Barack Obama, and extends our heartfelt gratitude. A commutation can not be reversed by a future president.
“Today’s fantastic news goes a long way to making amends for the brutal treatment Chelsea was illegally subjected to while awaiting trial at the Quantico Marine Brig. It’s tragic that Chelsea had to spend 7-years imprisoned for releasing documents that should never have been classified in the first place, and were clearly in the public interest,” stated Chelsea Manning Support Network co-founder Jeff Paterson. “All of us who worked on Chelsea’s behalf are overjoyed.”
The Chelsea Manning Support Network was founded in the weeks following Chelsea’s arrest in Iraq in May 2010. The Network covered 100% of the legal fees associated with her pretrial hearing, court martial trial, and raised a significant amount toward the legal costs of her appeal. Many days during her trial, the courtroom was packed with supporters wearing “truth” shirts.
“Over the last few years, I’ve come to know Chelsea as a deeply intelligent, sensitive woman who doesn’t deserve to spend decades in prison. I often feared that any more time behind bars would be devastating for Chelsea, or potentially even lethal, especially with President-Elect Trump taking office. Soon, she’ll have a chance to live the life she’s been denied for almost seven years,” Rainey Reitman, co-founder of the Chelsea Manning Support Network.
In addition to fundraising, the organization worked to raise awareness of Chelsea’s case. The Support Network held hundreds of rallies around the world, from San Francisco and London. Chelsea’s supporters became regular participants in yearly pride parades the last several years. In addition, the Support Network placed billboards in Los Angeles and Kansas City, ran a full-page New York Times ad, and helped generate over one million petition signatures in support of Chelsea’s release.
“In conversations Chelsea and I had while she was imprisoned, I learned that she’s not only driven by principles, but that she believes in the foundations of America’s government. She dreamed about attending graduate school, and helping to research ways that government could use technology to improve transparency and public participation. Whatever she chooses to do now, the world is better for having a bright young person free to pursue a meaningful life,” noted former campaign manager Emma Cape.
“I believe that the support for Chelsea demonstrated that whistleblowers who oppose injustice will not face powerful government retribution alone,” declared Rainey Reitman. “Today’s victory is a victory for all those who stood with Chelsea Manning.”
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BREAKING: Obama Commutes Chelsea Manning, What’s Next For Julian Assange Extradition
WeAreChange on Jan 17, 2017
Breaking News: President Barack Obama has shortened the prison sentence of former Army private and whistleblower Chelsea Manning, She will be released on May 17, instead of remaining in military custody until 2045 as originally sentenced.
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Chelsea Manning’s commuted sentence ‘better late than never’ – biographer
RT America on Jan 17, 2017
On Tuesday, President Barack Obama commuted the bulk of Chelsea Manning’s prison sentence. Locked up for nearly 7 years, she is set to be released in May 2017 instead of 2045. Clark Stoeckley, author of “The United States vs. Pvt. Chelsea Manning” joins RT America’s Simone Del Rosario to offer his unique insights, having attended her trial and worked tirelessly on her behalf and on behalf of securing greater protections for whistleblowers in the US.
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President Obama Commutes Sentences of Chelsea Manning and Oscar Lopez River
TheRealNews on Jan 17, 2017
We speak to ShadowProof.com’s managing editor Kevin Gosztola about Obama’s surprising and historic decision
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‘Humanitarian move’: Chelsea Manning’s sentence commuted – ex-CIA officer Kiriakou
RT on Jan 17, 2017
President Barack Obama has shortened the prison sentence of former Army private and whistleblower Chelsea Manning, She will be released on May 17, instead of remaining in military custody until 2045 as originally sentenced.
Manning had leaked to WikiLeaks hundreds of thousands of US government documents that came to be known as the Iraq War Logs and the Afghan War Diary. She was convicted by a US Army Court Martial to 35 years’ imprisonment prison in August 2013, under the Espionage Act.
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Updated: Jan. 18, 2017
‘Assange stands by everything he said’ – lawyer on Wikileaks’ founder US extradition promise
RT on Jan 18, 2017
Now that President Barack Obama has commuted much of whistleblower Chelsea Manning’s prison sentence, will Wikileaks founder Julian Assange follow through on his promise to accept extradition to the US? Melinda Taylor, lawyer for Assange, joins RT to discuss this issue.
From the archives:
Chelsea Manning Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison
Chris Hedges and Cornel West Speak Out For Whistleblower Chelsea Manning + Q&A
Dandelion Salad 
Pingback: Chelsea Manning Jailed for Refusing to Cooperate with Wikileaks Grand Jury + Activists Attempt To Visit Chelsea Manning – Dandelion Salad
Pingback: Chelsea Manning: We’re Living Under the Thumb of This Enormous Machine – Dandelion Salad
Pingback: Ray McGovern: The Release of Chelsea Manning + Joseph Farrell: CIA Challenges Wikileaks – Dandelion Salad
Pingback: Glenn Greenwald: Prosecuting Julian Assange and WikiLeaks Threatens Press Freedom for All – Dandelion Salad
Updated: added another video report, “‘Assange stands by everything he said’ – lawyer on Wikileaks’ founder US extradition promise.”
Was any explanation given for why she must endure another 4 months in hell?
Not that I’ve heard yet. Good question, though.
It wasn’t a pardon.
Updated: added two more video reports.
Hurrah !!!
Only, too bad we cannot commute the death sentences imposed on literal multitudes of innocents in the Middle-east, as a direct consequence of American lies, vulgar ambition, misguided missiles and brutal incompetence..
No kidding.
David , you might have to wait until the American Empire falls for that . haha !
the Prez only commuted Manning because of the pressure from the gay community . The Prez hates whistleblowers and increased the power of NSA . and Snowden won’t be pardoned .
this is a clever act of deception on the part of the Prez who seeks to appear tolerant of whistleblowers when his record is the exact opposite .
nevertheless , Roman man of letters Seneca writes about the importance of clemency and the prez has every right to do this with anyone . but in this case don’t let him fool you .
Well said Rock.
I am happy for Manning personally though . prison is no place for such a noble person .
This is exactly what I’ve been saying. The LBGT community has been very supportive of Obama and donated tons of money to him as well. That’s why Obama passed gay marriage. And that’s why he’s commuting Chelsea. The LBGT community has been all over this.
When the Clintons betrayed the gays by signing the defense of the marriage act , gay community got behind Obama in 2008 .
That is EXACTLY why he pardoned Manning . Now in this case it happens to be a good thing . Nevertheless , all of this politics of genitlia should not fool us .
if Manning was still Bradley there would have been no pardon . the regressive left is obsessed with race and gender . the progressive left is focused on no surviellance anti – empire , and economic injustice .