Edward Snowden issues heartfelt plea to Obama to pardon Chelsea Manning

Edward Snowden has issued a heartfelt appeal to outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama to pardon imprisoned U.S. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning.

His plea is particularly significant as he's not asking for his own pardon:

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"Mr. President, if you grant only one act of clemency as you exit the White House, please: free Chelsea Manning. You alone can save her life," he tweeted.

Snowden, a National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower, has lived in exile in Russia since he worked with various media outlets in 2013 to reveal an array of extensive and intrusive domestic and international spying operations.

Earlier Tuesday, NBC News quoted a Justice Department source as saying that Obama has put Chelsea Manning on his short list for a possible commutation.

Manning has been serving a 35-year sentence since 2010 for leaking classified military and diplomatic material and providing it to WikiLeaks.

She attempted suicide twice in 2016 and went on a hunger strike in an attempt to get the military to provide gender reassignment surgery.

"I have more hope right now than I have the entire time since she was sentenced," Manning's aunt, Deborah Manning, told NBC News. "I do think it's the last hope for a while."

Last month, more than 100,000 people signed a petition seeking commutation for Manning's sentence.

A decision could come as soon as Wednesday.

In November, Obama told German newspaper Der Spiegel that he won't pardon Snowden during his final weeks in office despite pressure from a group of high profile human and civil rights groups.