The US Army is confirming that Chelsea Manning has been released from detention at Fort Leavenworth, in accordance with the commutation of her sentence. She had served just short of seven years under espionage charges.
Chelsea Manning has been released from prison
In a statement to ABC News, Manning said, “I appreciate the wonderful support that I have received from so many people across the world over these past years.”
Manning marked the occasion with her first Instagram:
Over the past seven years, Manning has become an icon for both the trans community and the digital movement against government secrecy. At the same time, she has endured difficult conditions in prison, lobbying for medical treatment and battling with Fort Leavenworth’s disciplinary tribunal in the wake of a suicide attempt.
“Like far too many people in prison, particularly transgender women, Chelsea Manning has had to survive unthinkable violence throughout the seven years of her incarceration,” the ACLU’s Chase Strangio said in a statement. “Finally, she will be leaving prison and building a life beyond the physical walls of the many sites of her detention.”
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