FORT MEADE (USA), July 20: A US military judge on Thursday barred WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning from citing evidence at his trial alleging he caused no serious harm to the United States when he released a massive trove of secret government documents.

In a major blow to Manning's defence, Judge Denise Lind said what happened after the classified files were disclosed is irrelevant as to whether the US soldier committed the crime of leaking sensitive information knowing that it “could” cause damage to America's national security.

What occurred afterwards “was not knowable to the accused” prior to the leak and therefore not pertinent to determining his guilt or innocence, said Lind, reading out her ruling at a pre-trial hearing at Fort Meade, Maryland, northeast of Washington.

Lind, a US Army colonel, said prospective jurors might be “confused” if the trial allowed for a discussion of potential harm caused by the leaks.

The judge left open the possibility that the defence could argue it needed to present information related to the effect of the leaks when cross-examining prosecution witnesses. But she said she would take up defence requests on a case-by-case basis.—AFP