US Prosecutors Seek 60-Year Prison Sentence for Manning


US Prosecutors Seek 60-Year Prison Sentence for Manning

TEHRAN (Tasnim) - US prosecutors are asking for a 60-year prison sentence to be handed down to US soldier Bradley Manning, who leaked a huge collection of classified documents to WikiLeaks.

An American military judge will begin on Tuesday to deliberate the sentence she will hand down to the American soldier Bradley Manning for leaking classified material to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.

Manning, 25, faces up to 90 years in prison for leaking over 700,000 US military and diplomatic documents and battlefield video footage showing the brutal killing of civilians, France24 reported.

The judge in Manning’s court martial, Col. Denise Lind, found him guilty in July of 20 criminal charges, which carry a possible prison sentence of up to 90 years. Yet she found him not guilty of the most serious charge - aiding the enemy - which could have carried a penalty of life in prison without parole.

On Monday, a prosecutor said Manning should spend 60 years in prison because he betrayed the US by giving classified material to WikiLeaks.

But his defence attorney suggested any prison term shouldn't exceed 25 years because the classification of some of the documents Manning leaked expires in 25 years.

The prosecutor, Captain Joe Morrow, admonished Manning, who "took an oath and he knowingly broke it."

"He's been convicted of serious crimes,'' Morrow said. "He betrayed the United States and for that betrayal, he deserves to spend the majority of his remaining life in confinement.''

Prosecutors also asked the judge to fine Manning $100,000, reduce his rank to private and give him a dishonorable discharge.

 

 

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