Chelsea Manning, who was convicted of orchestrating one of the biggest intelligence leaks in United States history, has been freed from military prison.
“Chelsea Manning has left Fort Leavenworth,” a U.S. army spokesperson said early Wednesday.
Manning’s 35-year sentence, which was due to end in 2045, was commuted by former President Barack Obama in January.
“For the first time, I can see a future for myself as Chelsea,” Manning said in a statement last week just before being released. “I can imagine surviving and living as the person who I am and can finally be in the outside world.”
Manning, who was born Bradley Manning, insisted on being called Chelsea, and began hormone treatments to become a female just a day after being sentenced in 2013.
A former U.S. soldier and intelligence analyst, Manning was convicted of 20 charges in connection with leaking more than 500,000 pages of classified documents to WikiLeaks. The first material from Manning was posted online in February 2010.
Manning is still undergoing hormone treatment, and will remain an active-duty soldier as an Army private. Manning’s court-martial conviction is still under appeal.
