US Army seeks death penalty for the WikiLeaks whistleblower

22 additional charges were filed by the US Army against Pfc. Bradley Manning, accused WikiLeaks whistleblower including one with a potential death sentence.

Manning, the Army intelligence analyst, is charged with the aiding the enemy which is the military equivalent of treason, but prosecutors said on Wednesday that they planned to seek only a sentence of life in prison if he is convicted on the charge.

It is up to the presiding military judge to take the decision and he would be free to sentence Manning to death if he is found guilty, according to NBC News.

23-year old Manning was arrested in May and charged in July with downloading confidential documents and later supplying them to WikiLeaks.

Pentagon and military officials told NBC News that investigators have made no direct link between Manning and Assange, and none of the charges filed against Manning make any reference to WikiLeaks. It was previously reported that US investigators have been unable to prove that WikiLeaks obtained classified US files from Manning.

Among other new charges filed against Manning there is theft of public property or records, computer fraud, transmitting defense information and wrongfully causing intelligence to be published knowing it would be accessible to the enemy.