THE MAN behind whistle-blower website Wikileaks will agree to US extradition if former Haverfordwest school pupil Chelsea Manning is released fromUS prison.
Julian Assange has called for President Barack Obama to release former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning from military prison.
Obama has just a few days left in office to react.
Manning is currently serving a 35–year sentence for leaking the largest collection of classified documents in US history, around 700,000 files, which she handed to Wikileaks. She has so far served six years of her 35–year sentence.
On Friday (Jan 13) Wikileaks took to Twitter, writing: “If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ (US Department of Justice) case.”
Assange has been sheltering in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden to face allegations of sexual assault.
Assange has previously said he believes he would then be extradited to the US where further charges could be filed against him for his publication of classified documents.
On December 19 last year, President Obama granted clemency to 231 individuals, the largest single day act of his presidency. It was also reported earlier this month that Manning has been added to the US President’s ‘shortlist’ to have his sentence commuted.
A petition calling on Mr Obama for clemency has been widely reported. According to The Guardian, Manning has said the petition was ‘the last real chance to make my case to go home for a very long time’.
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