Chelsea Manning’s lawyer: She is fragile – Obama’s clemency is her last chance until appeal Transgender men and women have drawn strength from Chelsea Manning’s fight to live as a woman, her lawyer has said, […]

Transgender men and women have drawn strength from Chelsea Manning’s fight to live as a woman, her lawyer has said, amid reports the US soldier’s plea to have her sentence commuted is being considered by the President.

Manning, who is transgender, was imprisoned for 35 years for leaking thousands of classified and unclassified military documents. The whistleblower is seeking a pardon from Barack Obama before Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States.

Manning’s hopes were bolstered on Wednesday when a report by NBC News suggested she has been placed on a “shortlist” for having her sentence commuted by President Obama.

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Her lawyer Nancy Hollander told the i Manning is feeling “excited and hopeful” by developments.

If Manning’s plea for clemency is ignored, she will continue the battle she waged throughout 2016: the right to live as a woman in Fort Leavenworth military prison in Kansas, where she is serving her sentence.

This included a brief hunger strike in September until her male to female transition surgery was approved by the army. She was sentenced to two weeks in solitary confinement after a suicide attempt during the same month and continues to argue for the right to grow her hair out.

“I know that she has a huge correspondence with lots and lots of people and I know that there are other transgender individuals who have drawn courage and strength from her, because people have told me that. She’s been so courageous and continues to be. Just the fact that the day after she was sentenced she stepped up and announced that she was a woman took tremendous courage as she was walking into a male prison, where she has been this whole time.”

Ms Hollander said keeping Manning behind bars will pose a threat to her life.

Fragile

Manning has attempted suicide twice in prison. Ms Hollander stressed that she is “fragile” and warned keeping her in prison is dangerous to her well-being. She said President Obama has a duty to Manning because of her years in service.

“The army and the president as Commander in Chief have an obligation to take care of a soldier. Chelsea is a soldier. She stepped up for all of us, she told us information that we had the right to know, that was important to know, about what our Government is doing. She is being punished for it more severely than any other whistleblower in American history.

Mr. President, if you grant only one act of clemency as you exit the White House, please: free Chelsea Manning. You alone can save her life. — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 11, 2017

“The response of the army when she attempted [to take her life] the first time was to lock her up in solitary confinement. It’s not only dangerous to her health and well-being, it’s just wrong.”

Manning has already served six years of her sentence behind bars, longer than any other official leaker, and President-elect Trump is expected to be unsympathetic to Manning’s appeal. With his inauguration looming, she is effectively pleading for her freedom before it is too late.

Last chance

“What we heard yesterday was new to all of us,” says Ms Hollander. “We’re just waiting and hoping that the President is acting on her plea for clemency. We filed the paperwork in November for her clemency and we’ve been waiting this whole time, and then suddenly we hear this news from the media.

“I was surprised. We’ve always been hopeful but somewhat pessimistic that the President would actually act on Chelsea’s clemency, but it’s just so, so important. This is her last chance until her appeal.”

Mr Obama has until noon on 20 January, the day Mr Trump is inaugurated, to approve Manning’s request for clemency. “If nothing has happened by then, then we know we have failed,” says Ms Hollander. “We are going to keep all of our fingers crossed until that moment.”

Manning’s legal team filed their brief in the army court of appeal in May 2015. The US Government’s brief is not due until March. Ms Hollander says the appeal will be a protracted process which could take years before reaching a conclusion. “We will fight it strenuously. We believe we have very good issues on appeal and we’re hopeful. But the tragedy of the appeal is that it will take so long.

Transgender community draws strength from her fight

“She just wants to begin to live her life. She’s never really had a chance to live, she’s certainly never had a chance to live as a woman. She’s never had a chance to do all of the good that she wants to do in her life – to continue her education, to help others.

“She will be a huge asset our community and the world community. But she has trouble being that asset when she’s locked away and nobody can even talk to her.”