WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama on Tuesday slashed the sentence of transgender army private Chelsea Manning, who had been sentenced to 35 years behind bars for handing classified US documents to WikiLeaks.

Obama pardoned 64 people and commuted the sentences of 209 others — including 29-year-old Manning, who would now be released in May — in one of his final acts as president.

Manning was convicted in August 2013 of espionage and other offenses, after admitting to the leak of 700,000 sensitive military and diplomatic documents.

Army private who leaked classified documents will be set free in May

The cache included military logs from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and cables offering sensitive — and often embarrassingly bare-knuckle — diplomatic assessments of foreign leaders and world events.

Then 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.

“This move could quite literally save Chelsea’s life,” said Chase Strangio of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Still, Obama’s move is something of a surprise, coming in the midst of a scandal over election-related hacking.

Obama has imposed sanctions on Russian intelligence services over the hack of Democratic party emails, some of which were released via WikiLeaks.

In recent weeks the White House had refused to be drawn on a possible commutation or pardon. But spokesman Josh Earnest did attempt to paint a stark difference between Manning — who went through the courts and admitted wrongdoing — and the likes of Edward Snowden.

Snowden, a former NSA contractor, fled to Hong Kong and then Russia in 2013 after revealing a highly classified global communications and internet surveillance system.

He was not on Obama’s list of commutations or pardons, but did tweet his thanks.

“Let it be said here in earnest, with good heart: Thanks, Obama.”

WikiLeaks — which has been linked to last year’s election hacks — claimed “victory” and thanked those who campaigned on Manning’s behalf.

“Your courage & determination made the impossible possible,” the group tweeted, citing founder Julian Assange. But there was no suggestion Assange — who is holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London — would make good on a promise to be extradited to the US if Manning was freed.

“If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case,” the group tweeted last week. White House officials dismissed any link between WikiLeak’s pledge and Obama’s decision on Manning.

Republicans expressed outrage at Obama’s decision.

“This is just outrageous,” said House Speaker Paul Ryan.

“Chelsea Manning’s treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nation’s most sensitive secrets. President Obama now leaves in place a dangerous precedent that those who compromise our national security won’t be held accountable for their crimes.”

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2017