 Obama says justice has been served in Manning case Washington (AFP) Jan 18, 2017 - President Barack Obama Wednesday defended his decision to commute the sentence of transgender army private Chelsea Manning, who was jailed for 35 years for handing classified US documents to WikiLeaks. Obama was addressing his final presidential news conference a day after he pardoned 64 people and commuted the sentences of 209 others -- including Manning, who will now be released in May -- in one of his last acts in office. "With respect to Chelsea Manning I looked at the particulars in this case the same way I have with the other commutations I have done and pardons I have done and felt in light of all the circumstances that commuting her sentence was entirely appropriate," Obama said. Manning was convicted in August 2013 of espionage and other offenses, after admitting to the leak of 700,000 sensitive military and diplomatic documents. "It has been my view that given she went to trial, that due process was carried out, that she took responsibility for her crime, that the sentence that she received was very disproportionate relative to what other leakers had received and that she had served a significant amount of time, that it made sense to commute and not pardon her sentence," Obama said "Let's be clear, Chelsea Manning has served a tough prison sentence," the president added. "I feel very comfortable that justice has been served." The cache of documents leaked by Manning included military logs from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and diplomatic cables offering sensitive -- and often embarrassingly blunt -- assessments of foreign leaders and world events. Bradley Manning pleaded guilty and was sentenced by military court martial. She has since been held in an all-male prison, at times in solitary confinement, and has attempted to commit suicide twice. Activists had argued her sentence is excessive and point to the psychological frailty of the transgender soldier.
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WikiLeaks said Wednesday its founder Julian Assange could travel to the US to face investigation after one of the site's main sources was given clemency -- but only if his rights were "guaranteed".
"Assange is still happy to come to the US provided all his rights are guaranteed," WikiLeaks said on Twitter, the day after US President Barack Obama commuted a prison sentence for former soldier Chelsea Manning.
Manning was sentenced by a military court martial to 35 years behind bars in 2013 for handing 700,000 sensitive military and diplomatic documents to WikiLeaks.
Assange described Manning as "a hero, whose bravery should have been applauded not condemned".
The WikiLeaks founder said last week he would abandon his refuge in the Ecuadoran embassy in London, where he has been since 2012, if the United States agreed to free Manning.
One of the Australian's lawyers, Barry Pollack, said Obama's decision was "well short" of his client's earlier request.
"Mr. Assange welcomes the announcement that Ms. Manning's sentence will be reduced and she will be released in May, but this is well short of what he sought," Pollack told AFP.
"Mr. Assange had called for Chelsea Manning to receive clemency and be released immediately," he added.
Washington has maintained the threat of prosecuting Assange over the 2010 documents leak, although no charges have been publicly filed.
Pollack said he has repeatedly asked the US Department of Justice to clarify his client's status and there has not been a public extradition request.
"I remain willing to discuss Mr. Assange's situation with the DOJ and call for it to announce that it will not pursue any charges against Mr. Assange," he said.
Assange has been living in the Ecuadoran embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden to face sexual assault allegations, which he says are politically motivated and intended as a stepping stone to extraditing him to the US.
- Manning release 'overdue': Amnesty -
Amnesty International campaigned for Manning's release and on Tuesday the human rights organisation described Obama's decision to commute her sentence as "long overdue".
"It is unconscionable that she languished in prison for years while those allegedly implicated by the information she revealed still haven't been brought to justice," Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA, said in a statement.
The transgender soldier was tried as Bradley Manning and she has since been held in an all-male prison, where she has twice attempted suicide.
Manning has become a symbol for WikiLeaks, along with Edward Snowden, a former contractor of the US National Security Agency who fled to Russia after revealing a highly classified global communications and internet surveillance system.
Snowden was not included in the outgoing president's list of commutations or pardons, but he posted a "Thanks, Obama" message on Twitter regarding Manning's release.
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