The former intelligence analyst has been sentenced to 35 years of jail time for leaking classified government data to WikiLeaks. The presiding judge, Denise Lind, handed down a sentence meaning that Manning will likely spend at least 8 more years in prison before he could be freed.

Bradley Manning is known for downloading about 700,000 classified military and diplomatic documents and sending them to WikiLeaks. However, his lawyers have said that his case would have a chilling effect on whistleblowers willing to expose government wrongdoing.

This sentence is considered to be the longest meted out in recent history for a would-be whistleblower, but it was really one of the biggest leaks ever – it actually resulted in WikiLeaks releasing 250,000 diplomatic cables, almost 400,000 military reports and even a video of a 2007 US airstrike in Baghdad where two Reuters reporters were killed.

In the meantime, some parties still believe that the punishment is too light, especially some of the more right wing types, who even claimed Manning should have been executed for treason. Republican Buck McKeon, a chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, also claimed that the sentence was light considering the damage Bradley did to the national security. He added that there was a need to send a strong signal to others who may be tempted to disclose classified data – as if 35 years in jail wasn’t enough to deter an individual from handing over secret papers. The only problem is that McKeon’s argument is based on the fact that Manning, 25, was found guilty of aiding the enemy, which he wasn't.

The most the prosecution asked for was 60 years, while the defense wanted no more than 25. After Manning has served his sentence he will be dishonorably discharged, forfeit all pay and benefits. Now he will be transferred to Fort Leavenworth to serve his sentence, but his case will be appealed, so Bradley could be granted clemency by the Army parole board. His lead attorney promised to launch a new campaign urging Obama to pardon Manning. However, at the moment President is unlikely to do that.

Press reports remind that Central Intelligence Agency officer John Kiriakou is currently serving his 30-month sentence after being convicted of sharing classified data with a reporter about the outfit’s controversial waterboarding interrogation technique.