Army Pfc. Bradley Manning was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for espionage.
Manning must serve one third of his sentence before he can become eligible for parole. He will receive 1,293 days credit for time he has already spent confined. In addition, he has been dishonorably discharged, received a reduction in rank, and his pay and benefits are forfeit. The government had requested that Manning be sentenced to 60 years to maintain deterrence against stealing classified information.
The 25 year-old former intelligence analyst was convicted in July on multiple violations of the Espionage Act for passing classified documents and videos to WikiLeaks; however, he was acquitted of the most serious charge, aiding the enemy, for which he would have faced life in prison without the possibility of parole.
A week ago, Manning apologized for his actions during his sentencing hearing, saying that he was “sorry that [he] hurt the United States.” He also said that he “believed [he] was going to help people, not hurt people.”