Bradley Manning, the US Army soldier convicted of providing secret files to WikiLeaks, could break his long-held silence on Wednesday.

Bradley Manning, the US Army soldier convicted of providing secret files to WikiLeaks, could break his long-held silence on Wednesday, Reuters news agency reported.

Manning has said almost nothing since the trial began on June 3.

Chief defense attorney David Coombs is expected to conclude his case for a lenient sentence on Wednesday after calling a dozen witnesses.
Judge Colonel Denise Lind could sentence Manning immediately after the defense finishes at Fort Meade, Maryland.

Manning, 25, faces up to 90 years in prison for providing more than 700,000 files, battle videos and diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks, a pro-transparency website.

Manning, described by his superiors as an Internet expert, faces the prospect of decades of monotonous prison life - with no online access - once he is sentenced. He likely will serve his time at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Whatever Manning's sentence, Lind has reduced it by 112 days because of harsh treatment after his arrest in May 2010.