LONDON
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange said on Wednesday that the verdict of United States soldier Bradley Manning on spying charges was a dangerous precedent.
Assange, who has been inside the Embassy of Ecuador in London since June 19, 2012 to avoid prison sentence, made a statement after Manning decision.
Claiming that it was never a fair trial, Assange said :
"Bradley Manning isn't guilty of anything. He's actually very heroic for demanding government transparency and accountability and exposing the American people and the rest of the world to the crimes committed by the American government. It is a dangerous precedent and an example of national security extremism. It is a short-sighted judgment that cannot be tolerated and it must be reversed."
Manning, the former military intelligence analyst who gave classified information to the anti-secrecy site WikiLeaks in 2010, was acquitted of aiding the enemy, the gravest charge laid against him by the US government. He was, however, found guilty of 19 other charges including espionage, theft and computer fraud.
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