Bradley Manning Verdict: Julian Assange, WikiLeaks Founder, Responds
The trial of Bradley Manning, the young man who gave classified military information to WikiLeaks back in 2010, has come to an end and Manning has been found guilty of 19 charges including theft, computer fraud and espionage. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has responded to the court's decision.
Back in May 2010, when Manning was stationed in Iraq, he and hacker Adrian Lamo of WikiLeaks were communicating via instant messenger, The Washington Post reported. Shortly there after, Lamo alerted authorities of Manning's transgressions.
Now that he has been found guilty of 19 charges, WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange has responded. Assange seems outraged at the speed of which a decision was made.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"My reaction to the verdict … well, first of all, really one of surprise in relation to the timing. This is a case that has been going for three years, two months at trial, over 18 months of interlocutory motions, at least 40,000 pages of judgments and evidence that the judge was required to read. But she has made her decision on 21 separate counts over the weekend," he said.
Assange claims the trial was not a fair one.
"The government kept Bradley Manning in a cage, stripped him naked and isolated him in order to break him, an act formally condemned by the United Nations Special Rapporteur for torture. This was never a fair trial," Assange said.
The WikiLeaks founder also feels like this bodes poorly for the future of journalism, as he believes that Manning is "the most important journalistic source the world has ever seen."
"It is a dangerous precedent and an example of national security extremism. It is a short-sighted judgment that cannot be tolerated and it must be reversed," Assange said.
