Both federal and state courts kept themselves more than busy this past week with some of the country’s biggest court cases. First, Army Private Bradley Manning was acquitted of aiding the enemy, a severe charge in a whistleblower case that can ignite intense debate on how to handle Edward Snowden, who also made headlines this week after the Russian government granted him asylum. In Ohio, kidnapper Ariel Castro was sentenced to life plus 1,000 years in prison after kidnapping and sexually abusing three women for more than 10 years. Finally, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi looks set to answer for his actions after decades of avoiding legal action.
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Bradley Manning Acquitted of Aiding the Enemy, Guilty On 19 Other Counts
On Tuesday, Army Private Bradley Manning was found not guilty of aiding the enemy, the most serious charge he faced in federal court after leaking hundreds of thousands of government and military correspondence to WikiLeaks.
Manning, 25, was charged with more than 20 counts, including some under the Espionage Act, when he was taken to court. Judge Denise Lind still found Manning guilty on 19 of the charges, meaning that the former soldier can still face up to 136 years in prison.
Government prosecutors attempted to portray Manning as a “traitor” who disclosed information that could have aided terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda. In 2009, Manning was stationed in Iraq, where he quickly grew disillusioned by the actions of his fellow soldiers. Since then, Manning gradually leaked more than 700,000 army documents and diplomatic correspondences to WikiLeaks, along with the now famous “Collateral Damage” video that depicted two Army Apache helicopter crews shooting at innocent civilians.
Manning’s sentence is currently up for deliberation and a final decision on his prison term could take weeks. But the verdict has given way to discussion and debate on how the U.S. should treat its whistleblowers, especially in light of the Edward Snowden incident.
Edward Snowden Granted 1-Year Asylum In Russia
After nearly a month and a half in one of Moscow’s international airports, ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden walked freely into the Russian capital after President Vladmir Putin’s administration granted Snowden temporary asylum.
Initial reports hinted at the possibility of Snowden receiving asylum from Nicaragua and Venezuela. But while both countries informally offered Snowden asylum, the Russian government formally accepted to protect him from extradition back to the U.S.
Snowden, 30, has permission to remain in Russia until July 31, 2014. He may choose to live and work wherever he pleases in the country until then, though there are talks of Snowden possibly seeking refuge in another part of the world before the date.
Snowden has been on the run from the U.S. government since June of this year, when he leaked a treasure trove of top-secret documents detailing the NSA’s most recent surveillance program. He fled to Hong Kong from Hawaii after disclosing his actions, where he remained under jurisdiction of Hong Kong authorities who refused to send Snowden back to the U.S. During his absence, Snowden was charged by a federal court in Virginia under the Espionage Act.
Russia’s decision to offer Snowden asylum is expected to put a noticeable strain on U.S.-Russia relations. Meanwhile, Snowden continues to leak confidential government documents to British newspaper The Guardian, prompting U.S. officials’ outrage and their emphasis on bringing Snowden back to U.S. soil.
Cleveland Kidnapper Ariel Castro Sentenced to Life In Prison
For three women, a tortuous 11-year kidnapping ordeal finally drew to a close on Thursday when unemployed bus driver Ariel Castro was sentenced to life plus 1,000 years in prison.
Castro pleaded guilty to 937 counts after kidnapping and sexually abusing Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus for 11 years. He had kidnapped Knight in 2002, Berry in 2003, and DeJesus in 2004, using their personal connections with his daughter to eventually hold all three women in his home.
During their captivity, the women were only fed one meal a day and were frequently kept in isolation from one another. A six-year-old girl who also emerged from the house was confirmed to be Berry and Castro’s daughter, conceived after Castro had raped the girl.
The women escaped the house in May of this year when Castro forgot to lock one of the doors.
Berry and DeJesus chose not to appear at the sentencing. Knight, on the other hand, personally made an appearance and delivered an emotional address directed at Castro.
“You took 11 years of my life away,” said Knight. “I spent 11 years in hell. Now, your hell is just beginning.”
Castro, however, claimed that he was “not a monster” and that any sexual activity that took place between him and the three women was consensual. The judge and jury, however, did not believe his statement and promptly sent off the convicted kidnapper to begin his prison term in isolation.
Former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi Convicted of Tax Fraud
For years he escaped the legal charges laid against him and the scandals surrounding his “bunga bunga” parties, but former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has finally been caught by the court.
Italy’s Court of Cassation upheld a four-year jail term for Berlusconi under charges of tax fraud committed by the politician. In the past 20 years, Berlusconi had also faced allegations of tax evasion and embezzlement, but he managed to successfully appeal those charges. Berlusconi has faced a total of 50 court cases during his decades in office.
The ex-PM released a video address on Friday to fire an angry tirade at the Court of Cassation judges who upheld the verdict. In the video, Berlusconi professes his frustration with the judicial system, claiming that he was victim of unrealistic allegations.
The court, however, did not immediately uphold a ban that would see Berlusconi kicked out of public office. This decision by the Court of Cassation was likely made to stave off political chaos in Italy, as the government currently consists of a fragile right-left coalition led by Prime Minister Enrico Letta. Given the coalition’s weakness, many now fear the government’s collapse if Berlusconi is removed from his seat as a Senator as the former PM was one of the key architects of the current parliament.
In addition to facing a jail term that he is unlikely to serve given his age, Berlusconi faces another trial related to his “bunga bunga” party days. He is accused of having had sex with an underage woman named Karima el Mahroug, who denies participating in any sexual activity with Berlusconi.