9:21pm, Wed 21 Aug 2013 WikiLeaks soldier jailed - last updated Wed 21 Aug 2013 US soldier Bradley Manning was jailed for 35 years at a military court in Maryland. Photo: Reuters <\/p>\n
US soldier Bradley Manning has been jailed for 35 years for giving WikiLeaks more than 700,000 US military and diplomatic documents. <\/p>\n
The 25-year-old was convicted last month of espionage, theft and other charges in the biggest leak of classified information in American history. <\/p>\n
He was acquitted of aiding the enemy, the most serious of the charges against him. <\/p>\n
Sitting before a military judge at Fort Meade in the US state of Maryland, Manning was also told he would be dishonourably discharged from the US army and will forfeit some pay. <\/p>\n
Manning's lawyer announced he is to formally request that US President Barack Obama pardons his client. <\/p>\n
Speaking at a news conference after following the sentencing, David Coombs said: \"The time to end Bradley Manning's suffering is now. <\/p>\n
\"The time for our president to focus on protecting whistle-blowers instead of punishing them, is now. The time for our president to pardon Bradley Manning is now.\" <\/p>\n
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange hailed the sentencing a \"significant tactical victory\" but said the former US soldier's trial and conviction was an \"affront to western justice\". <\/p>\n
In a statement, he said: \"While the defence should be proud of their tactical victory, it should be remembered that Mr Mannings trial and conviction is an affront to basic concepts of Western justice... <\/p>\n
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