U.S. soldier Bradley Manning was sentenced Wednesday to 35 years in prison for giving hundreds of thousands of classified military and diplomatic documents to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, the largest such leak in the country's history. 
 
 Supporters of Army Pfc. Bradley Manning hold up banners and signs as they protest outside of the gates at Fort Meade, Md., Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013, before a sentencing hearing in Manning's court martial.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Supporters of Army Pfc. Bradley Manning hold up banners as they protest outside of the gates at Fort Meade, Md., Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013, before a sentencing hearing in Manning's court martial. The military... (Associated Press) 
 
 Supporters of Army Pfc. Bradley Manning hold up banners as they protest outside of the gates at Fort Meade, Md., Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013, before a sentencing hearing at Manning's court martial. The military... (Associated Press) 
 
 Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted into a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013, before a sentencing hearing in his court martial. The military judge overseeing Manning's trial sentenced... (Associated Press) 
 
 Army Pfc. Bradley Manning steps out of a security vehicle as he is escorted into a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013, before a sentencing hearing in his court martial. The military... (Associated Press) 
 
 Army Pfc. Bradley Manning wears handcuffs as he is escorted into a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013, before a sentencing hearing in his court martial. The military judge overseeing... (Associated Press) 
 
 Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted into a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013, before a sentencing hearing in his court martial. The military judge overseeing Manning's trial said... (Associated Press) 
 
 A supporter of Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, Richard Ochs, holds up a banner with protesters outside of the gates at Fort Meade, Md., Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013, before a sentencing hearing in Manning's court... (Associated Press) 
 
 Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted into a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013, before a sentencing hearing in his court martial. The military judge overseeing Manning's trial said... (Associated Press) 
 
 In a brief hearing, the military judge didn't offer any explanation for the sentence. 
 
 The closely watched case has seen the 25-year-old called both a whistleblower and a traitor. 
 
 Prosecutors wanted at least a 60-year prison sentence, saying it would dissuade other soldiers from following in Manning's footsteps. The defense suggested a prison term of no more than 25 years so that Manning could rebuild his life. 
 
 Manning leaked more than 700,000 Iraq and Afghanistan battlefield reports and State Department diplomatic cables in 2010 while working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq. 
 
 He was convicted last month of 20 offenses, including six Espionage Act violations, five theft counts and computer fraud. Prosecutors were unable to prove that he aided the enemy, a crime punishable by life in prison. 
 
 Manning has apologized and said he wanted to provoke a debate on the country's military and diplomatic actions. 
 
 "I believed I was going to help people, not hurt people," he said last week. 
 
 His defense team said he was under severe mental pressure as a young man struggling with gender identity issues at a time when openly gay people were not allowed to serve in the military. 
 
 Prosecutors said the leaks endangered the lives of U.S. intelligence sources and prompted several ambassadors to be recalled, reassigned or expelled. 
 
 Prosecutors requested a far longer prison term than other soldiers have received in recent decades for sharing government secrets. 
 
 Albert T. Sombolay got a 34-year-sentence in 1991 for giving a Jordanian intelligence agent information on the buildup for the first Iraq war, plus other documents and samples of U.S. Army chemical protection equipment. Clayton Lonetree, the only Marine ever convicted of espionage, was given a 30-year sentence, later reduced to 15 years, for giving the Soviet KGB the identities of U.S. CIA agents and the floor plans of the embassies in Moscow and Vienna in the early 1980s. 
 
 Amnesty International and the Bradley Manning Support Network have announced an online petition asking President Barack Obama to pardon Manning 
 
 Military prisoners can earn up to 120 days a year off their sentence for good behavior and job performance, but they must serve at least one-third of any prison sentence before they can become eligible for parole. 
 
 Manning will get credit for about 3 1/2 years of pretrial confinement, including 112 days for being illegally punished by harsh conditions at a Marine Corps brig. His lawyers asserted he was locked up alone for at least 23 hours a day, forced to sleep naked for several nights and required to stand naked at attention one morning. ||||| Bradley Manning's court-martial reached an end today, with Army Colonel Denise Lind sentencing him to 35 years in prison. She also ordered a reduction in rank to private, a forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and a dishonorable discharge. He will receive credit for 1,294 days for time served. According to an Army spokesman, Manning would be eligible for parole after serving 1/3 of his sentence; with additional credit for time served, he could face 8-9 years. Manning also has the possibility of a clemency finding that would reduce his sentence. 
 
 The WikiLeaks source, arrested in Iraq in 2010 for releasing nearly 700,000 government documents to WikiLeaks, was found not guilty of the most serious charge of "aiding the enemy," which could have resulted in life imprisonment. Manning was found guilty on virtually all other charges under the Espionage Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and the code of military justice. The verdict left him facing a maximum 136 years; Lind later found the government had overcharged Manning and reduced that number to 90 years. Within the military justice system, Colonel Lind does not have to explain the reasoning behind Manning's sentence. She did not, taking less than two minutes to read the sentence. Bradley Manning showed no visible response. 
 
 Before delivering the sentence, Lind reminded attendees about court rules barring outbursts from the gallery. After she finished reading the verdict and excited the courtroom, several Manning supporters reportedly yelled, "We'll keep fighting for you, Bradley" and "You're our hero." 
 
 Much of the prosecution's case took place behind closed doors in order to present classified information 
 
 During the sentencing phase of the trial, prosecution and defense jousted over the question of consequences. The prosecution sought to demonstrate that Manning's leaks had damaged relationships between American diplomats and their foreign counterparts, for example, but could present only speculative evidence in open court. Colonel Lind rejected testimony about alleged "ongoing" damage from the leaks. Much of the prosecution's case took place behind closed doors in order to present classified information. 
 
 Manning's sentencing defense focused on his mental and emotional state at the time of the leaks, portraying him as an isolated soldier suffering from "gender dysphoria," a condition in which a person's subjective understanding of gender conflicts with his or her outward experience of gender. Such long-term experience causes "clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning," according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The defense argued Manning should have received mental health care from the Army and been removed from duty before the time of his leaks. 
 
 Defense witnesses also described Manning as an idealist who overestimated his authority and ability to provoke a discussion about the documents he released. In a brief statement, he apologized for his actions, saying, "At the time of my decisions, as you know, I was dealing with a lot of issues. Although they have caused me considerable difficulty in my life, these issues do not excuse my actions." He expressed a desire to return to society and rebuild a relationship with his family, including the aunt and sister who'd testified about Manning's childhood as the son of alcoholic, dysfunctional parents. "Before I can do that, though," he said, "I understand that I must pay a price for my decisions and actions." 
 
 In closing arguments Monday, the prosecution asked the court to sentence Manning to 60 years, plus a $100,000 fine. "He betrayed the United States," a prosecuting attorney said, "and for that betrayal he deserves to spend the majority of his remaining life in confinement." The government has also consistently emphasized a desire to make Manning an example. "There’s value in deterrence," said the prosecutor. 
 
 "There’s value in deterrence." 
 
 Defense attorneys countered that a repentant Manning could still find his place as a productive member of society. "Your honor, the defense requests that you judge a sentence that allows him to have a life," defense attorney David Coombs said. Coombs responded to the prosecution's request for 60 years by suggesting Manning would be in jail long after the information he released had been officially declassified. He did not suggest a number of his own. 
 
 "The defense requests that you judge a sentence that allows him to have a life." 
 
 Manning will receive credit for time served, more than 1000 days, plus a 112-day credit ordered by Colonel Lind for pre-trial treatment she described as "more rigorous than necessary." Manning spent nine months in solitary confinement in a Marine Corps brig in Quantico, Virginia; he spent 23 hours a day in the windowless cell and was often deprived of his clothing. He is working with his defense attorney on a clemency process hoping to reduce his sentence. The defense also plans to petition President Obama for a pardon. 
 
 Under military justice, the case will next move to the Army Court of Criminal Appeals for automatic review, during which the court can decide whether to hear additional arguments. Before that can happen, transcripts of the current trial (which began in June) have to be prepared and approved by the prosecution and defense — likely to be a lengthy process. As the case progresses, Manning will likely be held at the US Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. ||||| Story highlights Manning's leaks did "vast damage" and deserved more prison time, lawmaker says 
 
 Manning will seek a pardon, says he acted "out of a love for my country" 
 
 Assange says case will yield "a thousand more Bradley Mannings" 
 
 Prosecutors said Manning was arrogant and showed "extreme disregard" 
 
 Bradley Manning, the Army private whose disclosure of hundreds of thousands of U.S. military and diplomatic documents gave American officials a global case of heartburn, was sentenced to more than three decades in prison Wednesday. 
 
 A military judge sentenced Manning to 35 years -- less than the 60 prosecutors sought and far shorter than the 90 he could have received -- minus credit for the about three and a half years he's already been behind bars. 
 
 He showed little to no reaction when the judge, Army Col. Denise Lind, sentenced him at Fort Meade, outside Washington. But in a statement read by his attorney afterward, he said he acted "out of a love for my country and a sense of duty," to expose what he said were abuses committed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. 
 
 The attorney, David Coombs, said the statement was part of Manning's application for a pardon from President Barack Obama. 
 
 "If you deny my request for a pardon, I will serve my time knowing that sometimes you have to pay a heavy price to live in a free society," the statement said. "I will gladly pay that price if it means we could have a country that is truly conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all women and men are created equal." 
 
 Photos: Key WikiLeaks figures in Manning trial Photos: Key WikiLeaks figures in Manning trial Key WikiLeaks figures in Manning trial – Army Pfc. Bradley Manning was convicted July 30 of stealing and disseminating 750,000 pages of classified documents and videos to WikiLeaks, and the counts against him included violations of the Espionage Act. He was found guilty of 20 of the 22 charges but acquitted of the most serious charge, aiding the enemy. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Hide Caption 1 of 5 Photos: Key WikiLeaks figures in Manning trial Key WikiLeaks figures in Manning trial – Before the court-martial began, Manning's attorney, David Coombs, thanked people for their support and fundraising efforts in "this important case." Hide Caption 2 of 5 Photos: Key WikiLeaks figures in Manning trial Key WikiLeaks figures in Manning trial – Former hacker Adrian Lamo turned Manning in to authorities. The Army private allegedly told Lamo about leaking the classified records. Hide Caption 3 of 5 Photos: Key WikiLeaks figures in Manning trial Key WikiLeaks figures in Manning trial – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange fled to the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over allegations that he raped one woman and sexually molested another. Assange has said he fears Sweden will transfer him to the United States, where he could face the death penalty for the work of WikiLeaks if he were charged or convicted of a crime. Manning has said he gave material to WikiLeaks after initially trying to contact The New York Times and The Washington Post. WikiLeaks has never confirmed that Manning was the source of its information. Hide Caption 4 of 5 Photos: Key WikiLeaks figures in Manning trial Key WikiLeaks figures in Manning trial – Daniel Domscheit-Berg, a longtime volunteer and spokesman for WikiLeaks, was considered to be Assange's closest collaborator. He quit WikiLeaks and said Assange's personality was distracting from the group's original mission. Domscheit-Berg went on to publish a tell-all book about the inner workings of WikiLeaks. He wrote that Assange evolved into a "paranoid, power-hungry, megalomaniac." Hide Caption 5 of 5 
 
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 White House spokesman Josh Earnest had no comment on a possible pardon, saying only that Manning's request would be considered "like any other application." 
 
 Manning, 25, was convicted in July of stealing 750,000 pages of classified documents and videos and disseminating them to WikiLeaks, the online anti-secrecy group. Lind also reduced his rank from private first class to private, ordered him to forfeit pay and benefits and be dishonorably discharged. 
 
 "We're still here fighting for you Bradley!" a supporter yelled as Manning was hustled out of the courtroom. "We love you Bradley!" another said. An aunt and a cousin of Manning's wept openly in the courtroom. 
 
 Manning was found guilty of 20 of the 22 charges against him, including violations of the U.S. Espionage Act. He avoided a potential life sentence when Lind rejected charges that his actions aided the enemy. 
 
 Lind already had agreed to reduce Manning's sentence by 112 days after ruling that the harsh treatment he was subjected to in the brig at the Marine base in at Quantico, Virginia, was out of line. 
 
 Manning will be eligible for parole in 10 years, Coombs said. In the meantime, he called on Obama "to focus on protecting whistleblowers, instead of punishing them." 
 
 The sentencing wraps up a case of what prosecutors called the biggest leak of classified materials in Army history. The documents included field reports from Army units in Iraq and Afghanistan, video of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed two journalists in Iraq and unvarnished assessments of other countries' leaders by American diplomats overseas. 
 
 Prosecutors have said Manning acted as a "determined insider" in leaking classified information about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, arguing his actions created grave risk, disrupted diplomatic missions and endangered lives. 
 
 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who last week criticized what he called a "forced" apology by Manning, said the sentence was "a significant tactical victory" for the defense. But he called Manning's prosecution "an affront to basic concepts of Western justice." 
 
 "Mr. Manning's treatment has been intended to send a signal to people of conscience in the U.S. government who might seek to bring wrongdoing to light," Assange, now holed up in the Ecuador's embassy in London, said in a written statement. "This strategy has spectacularly backfired, as recent months have proven. Instead, the Obama administration is demonstrating that there is no place in its system for people of conscience and principle. As a result, there will be a thousand more Bradley Mannings." 
 
 But the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Buck McKeon, criticized what he called a light sentence compared to the life terms some convicted spies have received. 
 
 "Bradley Manning betrayed his country, his obligations as a soldier and the trust of all Americans. He put the lives of our troops and our allies in danger," McKeon, R-California, said in a written statement. 
 
 "Given the vast damage he did to our national security and the need to send a strong signal to others who may be tempted to disclose classified information, this is a dangerous conclusion," McKeon added. 
 
 The disclosure of more than 250,000 cables from U.S. embassies in late 2010 came in for particular criticism, with State Department officials arguing the leaks would make it harder for Washington to get accurate appraisals of the countries where American diplomats work. A CNN analysis of the first batch of cables WikiLeaks published found 170 that named sources whose identity was meant to be protected. 
 
 But in 2011, the human rights group Amnesty International said the leaked documents helped galvanize opposition to longtime Tunisian strongman Zine El Abedine Ben Ali by revealing the depth of his government's corruption. Ben Ali was toppled by a popular uprising that January -- the first of the "Arab Spring" revolutions still roiling the Middle East. 
 
 Capt. Joe Morrow, the prosecutor, said Manning's arrogance meant that he "felt he alone was knowledgeable and intelligent enough to determine what information was to be classified." 
 
 "There may not be a soldier in the history of the Army who displayed such an extreme disregard" for his mission, Morrow said Monday during final sentencing arguments. 
 
 But Coombs said Manning was "a young man capable of being redeemed" and urged Lind to hand down "a sentence that allows him to have a life." He told reporters later that Manning's case should be seen as a watershed in the debate over secrecy that's now raging in the United States. 
 
 "The ultimate role of oversight in America has always belonged to the American people, and it's only to the extent that the American people can be informed as to these matters that oversight works at all," he said. "There are too many things we don't know about our national security apparatus." ||||| 8.37pm BST 
 
 We're going to wrap up our live blog coverage of the Manning sentencing. We've just published our latest news story by Paul Lewis here. Here's a summary of where things stand: 
 
 • Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison minus time served and is to be dishonorably discharged from the military. He is expected to have his first parole hearing in seven years, should the current sentence stand up to appeal, according to defense lawyer David Coombs. 
 
 • Manning's legal team said the sentence was unreasonably severe. In a remarkably sustained criticism of the proceedings and the result, Coombs suggested the trial was unfair, said the trial never should have been secret, and said murderers and child molesters he'd represented had received shorter sentences. He vowed to see the case through to Manning's parole. 
 
 • The Manning lawyers plan to lodge a formal request for a pardon or commutation from President Barack Obama. However Coombs pointed out that the administration had an unparalleled track record for prosecuting leakers (not for pardoning them). 
 
 • Manning was said to have met the news with equanimity. Coombs said Manning tried to get his lawyers to stop crying. "He looks to me, and he says, 'It's OK. It's alright. I know you did your best. I'm going to be OK. I'm going to get through this.'" 
 
 • Professors, legal experts and civil rights groups called the sentence "outrageous" and unprecedented." Rights groups said it would have a chilling effect on potential whistleblowers, discouraging them from reporting wrongdoing out of fear for their futures. It's "seriously wrong" for a soldier who shared information with the public to be punished "far more harshly than others who tortured prisoners and killed civilians," the ACLU said in a statement. 
 
 • The sentence is under appeal. Manning was expected to be transferred today to Fort Leavenworth, in Kansas. He turns 26 in December.
– Bradley Manning has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for his infamous leaking activities, according to multiple reports. He will also be dishonorably discharged and forfeit all pay and allowances, the Guardian reports. Manning will get credit for the time he's already spent in jail, which amounts to 1,294 days, or 3.55 years. His sentence falls short of the 60 years the government had sought, according to CNN, but the defense had wanted a 25-year term. Manning will be eligible for parole after serving a third of the sentence, the AP points out. The entire hearing lasted less than two minutes, with the judge, Col. Denise Lind, declining to explain the reasoning behind her sentence. Manning showed no visible emotion. As he was led from the courtroom, supporters shouted, "You're our hero," and "We'll keep fighting for you, Bradley." Defense attorneys had fought for a "sentence that allows him to have a life," the Verge reports, while prosecutors had argued that a lengthy sentence would deter others. "He betrayed the United States," one prosecutor said yesterday, "and for that betrayal he deserves to spend the majority of his remaining life in confinement."