SBS World News Radio: US President Barack Obama announces 35 year sentence of US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning commuted.
It was the biggest breach of classified material in U-S history.
In 2010, Chelsea Manning - then known as army private Bradley Manning, leaked more than 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts to WikiLeaks, detailing abuse of detainees and an increase in civilian casualties during the Iraq war.
The damning material was published by the anti-secrecy group and Manning was handed the longest prison sentence ever imposed in the U-S for a leak conviction.
But an act of clemency by the outgoing President now means Ms Manning will be freed 28 years early.
Executive Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Peter Jennings has condemned the move.
"I frankly thought this was an appalling decision on the part of President Obama given that what we're talking about with Chelsea Manning has been one of the biggest leaks of US intelligence information ever. I think this is an indulgent decision. I think its one that really does significant damage to the intelligence committee going forward."
While in prison, Ms Manning underwent surgery to become a woman.
Lecturer in American History at the University of Melbourne, Emma Short, says Manning's troubled mental and emotional state while in prison may have motivated Mr Obama to pardon her.
"Look I think there's been some concern about Chelsea Manning's treatment. She's been in solitary confinement for a long time and has attempted suicide twice now so I think that was part of his motivation. But it was also that the sentence of 35 years was the longest sentence ever put down for the type of crime that she committed, it was really unprecedented in that way, so I think there was widespread view that she had been punished enough."
Wikileaks has previously said its founder, Julian Assange, would agree to be extradited to the US if Mr Obama granted clemency to Manning.
Sweden has been seeking to extradite him for an alleged sex crime.
The move to free Manning also gave hope to supporters of whistle-blower Edward Snowden.
Mr Snowden has been in Russia since 2013, evading prosecution in the U-S after exposing unconstitutional spy operations and stealing hundreds of thousands of national security documents.
A U-S Congressional Intelligence Committee last year criticised Mr Snowden saying he had caused tremendous damage to national security, asserting he was not a whistle-blower.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest says Mr Snowden has not taken responsibility for his actions in the same way that Ms Manning has.
"Chelsea Manning is someone who went through the military criminal justice process. Was exposed to due process, was exposed to due process, was found guilty, was sentenced for her crimes and she acknowledged wrong doing. Mr Snowden fled into the arms of an adversary and sought refuge in a country that most recently made a concerted effort to undermine confidence in our democracy."
Human Rights Watch has welcomed President Obama's intervention but is also calling for the pardon of Mr Snowden.
But US House of Representatives Speaker, Paul Ryan, has condemned the move, calling it outrageous.
Chelsea Manning is likely to be freed on May 17.
Mr Obama also granted 64 other pardons and 209 other commutations - mostly of drug offenders.
