Chelsea Manning Will Be Released This Week — Her Case in 3 Points

Update:
Chelsea Manning was released from prison on the morning of May 17. Shortly after her release, Manning joined Instagram and shared a post celebrating her freedom . . . with pizza and Converse.

Original Story:
One the United States's most contentious prisoners is scheduled to be released this week. After nearly seven years in maximum-security prison, ex-Army soldier Chelsea Manning will be released from Fort Leavenworth, KS, on May 17. Manning's sentence was commuted by former President Barack Obama as he exited office in January. Manning's case has been widely debated and compared to that of another whistleblower, Edward Snowden, though her case preceded his. Both Manning and Snowden did, however, expose what they felt to be immoral or unjust government behavior. Since Manning's case has captured headlines since 2010, it's expectedly complex. Here's a breakdown of what you need to know about her case's history.

After joining the military in 2007, Chelsea (then known as Bradley) Manning was deployed to Iraq after two years of service. In Iraq, Manning was an intelligence analyst, which afforded her access to classified information about America's involvement in the Middle East, including Afghanistan. Compelled by a "sense of duty to others," Manning released a trove of documents depicting the harsh realities of the War on Terror to WikiLeaks.

Now known as the "Iraq War Logs" and "Afghan War Diary," Manning's leak revealed the particularly damning cost of civilian life in the war zone. One of the most horrific videos released by Manning shows the military relentlessly targeting civilians from Apache helicopters with no apparent regard to their lack of armed engagement. Officially described as the July 12, 2007, Baghdad airstrike, the video is more widely known as "Collateral Murder." Two journalists and between 12 and 18 civilians died in the attack.

Manning contends that she approached reporters from The Washington Post and The New York Times before providing WikiLeaks with the documents.

After confessing to an online associate about her involvement in the leaks, Manning was tracked down and arrested in 2013. Following a military trial, Manning was convicted of 17 charges; she plead guilty to 10 and vehemently refuted the charge of abetting the enemy. The government sought 60 years for her sentence, but she was sentenced to 35 years.

After Manning was sentenced, she came out as a trans woman and announced she would go by Chelsea. While imprisoned, Manning attempted suicide at least twice and fought the government's reluctance to provide her with medical treatment for her body dysmorphia with assistance from the American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU). Manning has received hormone treatment since 2015 and was allowed to visit a surgeon for reassignment surgery.

Manning's case has been frequently criticized as harsh and a representation of Obama's so-called "war on whistleblowers." More than 100,000 people signed a petition for her release.

In prison, Manning actively wrote opinion pieces defending her actions and joined Twitter with the help of her attorneys.

On Jan. 18, 2017, President Obama commuted Manning's sentence, although her conviction remains. Civil rights advocates rejoiced at the announcement. "We are all better off knowing that Chelsea Manning will walk out of prison a free woman, dedicated to making the world a better place and fighting for justice for so many," Chase Strangio, a lawyer for the ACLU, told the Associated Press.

Though Manning is scheduled for release on May 17, she will not necessarily be totally free. Manning will still be subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, according to her military lawyer David Coombs. That means if Manning ever breaks the law again, she would be subject to the military's prosecution; according to NBC News, Manning could test the Code with her speaking and writing.

In an official statement regarding her release, Manning thanked President Obama and detailed her hopes for life outside of prison. "I can see a future for myself as Chelsea. I can imagine surviving and living as the person who I am and can finally be in the outside world," Manning wrote. "Freedom used to be something that I dreamed of, but never allowed myself to fully imagine."