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Chelsea Manning barred from Canada due to prior convictions: Immigration tribunal

Apr 12, 2022 | 1:42 PM

OTTAWA — Famed whistleblower Chelsea Manning has been barred from Canada by the Immigration and Refugee Board. 

Manning was an intelligence analyst in the United States military when she leaked hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks.

She was sentenced to 35 years in prison for several charges, including espionage and theft, but her sentence was later commuted by former U.S. President Barack Obama. 

The tribunal determined Manning could not be allowed in Canada because she was convicted of an offence outside of Canada punishable by a prison term of more than 10 years. 

Manning claimed her actions were born of necessity, but the board rejected that argument. 

Manning’s lawyers say the decision is characterized by legal errors and they intend to seek a judicial review.  

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2022.

Laura Osman, The Canadian Press