Julian Assange will agree to U.S. extradition if Obama grants Chelsea Manning clemency

(Image credit: Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images)

last updated 13 January 2017

WikiLeaks tweeted Thursday that founder Julian Assange would agree to be extradited to the U.S. from his hideout at the Ecuadorean embassy in London — if President Obama grants Chelsea Manning clemency:

Manning, a former U.S. Army soldier and whistle-blower, was sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking classified military and diplomatic documents to WikiLeaks in 2010. It was reported Wednesday that she is on the "short list" for commutation before Obama leaves office. Edward Snowden, who leaked confidential materials from the NSA, has also pleaded for Obama to free Manning before Trump assumes the White House.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.