Chelsea Manning, the US Army private convicted of stealing classified documents on the war in Iraq and turning them over to WikiLeaks, has been released from a Kansas military prison.
Manning was released on Wednesday after serving seven years of her 35-year sentence.
Manning, who was known as Bradley Manning before transitioning in prison, was convicted in 2013 of 20 counts, including six Espionage Act violations, theft and computer fraud.
She was acquitted of the most serious charge of aiding the enemy.
The Crescent, Oklahoma, native tweeted after being granted clemency that she plans to move to Maryland. Neither she nor her lawyers explained why but she has an aunt who lives there.
Manning, a former intelligence analyst in Iraq, has acknowledged leaking the materials, which included battlefield video.
She said she wanted to expose what she considered to be the US military's disregard of the effects of war on civilians and that she released information she didn't believe would harm the US.
Critics said the leaks laid bare some of the nation's most-sensitive secrets and endangered information sources, prompting the State Department to help some of those people moved to protect their safety.
Several ambassadors were recalled, expelled or reassigned because of embarrassing disclosures.
Manning, who was arrested in 2010, filed a transgender rights lawsuit in prison and attempted suicide twice last year, according to her lawyers.
Barrack Obama's decision to commute Manning's sentence to about seven years, including the time she spent locked up before being convicted, drew strong criticism from members of Congress with Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan calling the move "just outrageous".
In a statement last week Manning thanked the former US president and said letters of support from veterans and fellow transgender people inspired her "to work toward making life better for others".
"For the first time, I can see a future for myself as Chelsea," she said.
