US Army Private First Class Bradley Manning (centre) leaves the courthouse at Fort Meade, Maryland, yesterday.
FORT MEADE, US: A US military judge convicted Bradley Manning of espionage yesterday, leaving him facing a lengthy jail term despite clearing him on the most serious charge that he ‘aided the enemy.’
Colonel Denise Lind found Manning guilty of 20 of 22 counts related to his leaking of a huge trove of secret US diplomatic cables and military logs to the WikiLeaks website.
She said she would begin sentencing hearings today, at the Fort Meade military base outside Washington where the trial was held. If Lind decides to impose penalties in the higher ranges permitted under the charges, the now 25-year-old Manning could face a de facto life sentence of more than 100 years in jail.
“On charge one, court finds you not guilty,” Lind told the hearing, before reading the long list of lesser counts on which Manning was found guilty of breaching the espionage act or disobeying orders.
The court was silent and Manning, a boyish young man in an army dress uniform and round glasses, showed no emotion before the live feed to the press room was cut.
Some freedom of information activists will welcome the news that he was at least cleared of knowingly aiding US foe Al Qaeda by leaking secrets to be published on the Internet.
But there have been warnings that the case, and the harsh penalties Manning could still face, could deter whistleblowers and have a chilling effect on future media investigations.
A few dozen protesters had gathered outside Fort Meade to support Manning and WikiLeaks, the anti-secrecy group set up by Australian cyber-activist Julian Assange, expressed fury at
the verdict. AFP
