https://twitter.com/xychelsea/status/864840675220754436/photo/1
Chelsea Manning, 29, shared her first tweet and photo since being released from military prison on Wednesday morning. The posts were accompanied by the words “First steps of freedom!!”.
Manning was released from United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas around 3 a.m. ET, Lt. Col. Jennifer Johnson told CNN.
Manning was originally sentenced to a 35-year prison term for disclosing archives of secret files to WikiLeaks, but President Barack Obama commuted the rest of her sentence.
In 2013, Manning -then known as Bradley Manning- was sentenced to 35 years in prison on 20 counts, including violations of the Espionage Act, according to CNN.
After the sentencing, the ex-intelligence agent changed her name to Chelsea Manning and identified as transgender.
During Manning’s trial in 2013, testimony showed that she had been deteriorating, mentally and emotionally. She tried committing suicide twice, according to The New York Times.
Manning made the following tweet last week in anticipation for her release:
Freedom was only a dream, and hard to imagine. Now it’s here! You kept me alive <3
USA Today reported Manning will remain an active-duty, unpaid soldier, eligible for health care and other benefits while her court-martial conviction remains under appeal. One of Manning’s attorneys, David Coombs, told NBC News that it also means Manning could be vulnerable to new military punishment if she steps out of line.
“Chelsea is still subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” said Combs. “She wouldn’t be charged again for the same offenses, but if she committed a new crime, the military would still have jurisdiction over her.”
“After another anxious four months of waiting, the day has finally arrived,” Manning said in a statement after her release. “I am looking forward to so much! Whatever is ahead of me is far more important than the past. I’m figuring things out right now – which is exciting, awkward, fun, and all new for me.”