Wikileaks founder Julian Assange shows readiness for a USA extradition, after Chelsea Manning, has received a presidential pardon from U.S President Barack Obama.
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After being convicted of leaking more than 700,000 documents and video, Manning-then known as Bradley-announced that she is transgender and would be going by the name Chelsea.
“I’m relieved and thankful that the president is doing the right thing and commuting Chelsea Manning’s sentence”, said Chase Strangio, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBT Project representing Manning. She is set to be released on May 17.
But on Wednesday, a lawyer for Assange told the Hill that the commutation fell short of what Assange wanted to see happen. The department, in refusing to turn over investigative documents sought by Manning under the Freedom of Information Act, has acknowledged that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is continuing to investigate the publication of national security information on WikiLeaks arising from Manning’s disclosures.
“If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to United States extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case”, tweeted WikiLeaks’s official account on Thursday.
“Chelsea Manning has served a tough prison sentence”, Obama said.
Snowden, who leaked information from the National Security Agency in 2013, fled the USA and is living in an unknown location in Russian Federation.
Wikileaks’ founder Julian Assange said in a live audio news conference that he was still prepared to travel from London to the U.S. to face investigation, provided his rights were protected.
“I am very surprised”, he said.
However she did explain that Manning would be able to appeal her discharge determination but said if it was unsuccessful she would be dishonourably discharged from the Army.
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As it happens, WikiLeaks once tweeted that Assange, who has lived in Ecuador’s London embassy since being granted asylum there four years ago, would agree to be extradited to the USA if Manning were pardoned. While she is guilty, Obama said, the sentence was disproportionate in his view.
