However, he was found guilty of most other counts

Jul 30, 2013 17:20 GMT  ·  By

Bradley Manning, the US soldier who gave classified documents to WikiLeaks, has been found not guilty of aiding the enemy, one of the biggest charges brought to him. However, he was found guilty of most other counts.

The trial began a few years back, and Manning was charged with 21 offenses, although he only pleaded guilty for ten of these.

Now, he was found guilty on 20 counts and could face a sentence of life in prison. However, as mentioned, he was found not guilty of aiding the enemy.

Manning had access to databases used by the United States government to transmit classified information. He provided materials to WikiLeaks, including the July 2007 Baghdad airstrike and the 2009 Granai airstrike in Afghanistan, as well as 250,000 US diplomatic cables and 500,000 army reports, also known as the Iraq War logs and Afghan War logs.

He was arrested in 2010 and held at the Marine Corps Brig in Quantico, Virginia under solitary confinement. In 2011 he was transferred to Fort Leavenworth where he was allowed to interact with other detainees.

Many have supported Bradley Manning over the years, claiming he was a hero for revealing things that did not sit well with his moral norms.

Through an online petition people have been trying to get him nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, just like Edward Snowden, another whistleblower who is currently being hunted by the United States.

A Facebook campaign, called “Save Bradley Manning,” was also formed, and it has over 93,000 likes. Many of its supporters have met this morning to march to the court house where they protested against Manning’s conviction.