Bradley Manning's Mother: My Son Is 'Superman

LONDON (AP) — In a rare interview, the British mother of U.S. soldier Bradley Manning has urged her son not to give up hope, even as he faces up to 136 years in prison for disclosing hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. documents.

In comments published by the Mail on Sunday, Susan Manning says she may never see her son again but that he should know she still considered him her "Superman."

Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted out of a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., Tuesday, July 30, 2013, after receiving a verdict in his court martial. Manning was acquitted of aiding the enemy the most serious charge he faced but was convicted of espionage, theft and other charges, more than three years after he spilled secrets to WikiLeaks. (Credit: AP)

Susan Manning, a 59-year-old from Wales, had not given an interview in years. She is divorced from her son's father, and the Mail says she has unspecified health problems.

The 25-year-old soldier was convicted of many charges, including Espionage Act violations, but was acquitted of the most serious charge, aiding the enemy.

He leaked the documents to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.

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