The trial of Bradley Manning, the US Army private who leaked thousands of documents to Wikileaks, is set to begin today at the Fort Meade military base, Maryland.

Manning faces 22 counts, including aiding al-Qaida, in violation of Article 104 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Manning maintains that he gave the documents to Wikileaks in an attempt to spark a debate about the Iraq war. He has pleaded guilty to 10 of the charges against him, but not the most serious.

If found guilty of the more serious charges, Manning faces 154 years in jail, according to the BBC. The trial is expected to last three months.

Related:

• Manning Trial Instructions
• The Guardian: Bradley Manning WikiLeaks trial ‘dangerous’ for civil liberties – experts