Jan 20 2011

Bradley Manning Petition

Oliver North’s Pre-Trial Conditions for UCMJ Violations Dramatically Different than Bradley Manning’s

By: Jane Hamsher, Firedog Lake

Thursday January 20, 2011 9:35 am

David House is the only person aside from Bradley’s lawyer who visits him regularly. He recently wrote about Bradley’s conditions here at FDL, which include severe restrictions on his ability to exercise, communicate or even sleep. Manning has not been convicted of any crime, nor is there a date for any court hearing. The New York Times recently reported that these techniques are being used to induce Manning to flip on Julian Assange and Wikileaks.

I don’t recall Oliver North being subjected to anything like that while he was awaiting trial.

Over 30,000 people have signed the petition. We’d like to get it up to 50,000 by the time David delivers them. I promise to be a faithful videographer and bring back video of David’s experience with the petitions, to the extent that it is allowed on the base.

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  2. i signed it. Made the day not a total waste at least in my own mind and spirit. Feelings of futility seems to be closing in but Tunsia and wikileaks are giving me some glimmer of ‘hope’.    

  3. I wrote an essay a while ago (sorry no link right now) here that Bradley Manning deserves a writ of habeas corpus to challenge the conditions of his pre-trial confinement.  Even the UN Reporteur agrees that the allegations could amount to major human rights violations.  OK.  I wanted to know why Manning’s lawyers aren’t in court fighting about this.  And why they’re not all over all the media demanding better treatment for their client.  I emailed them.  I told them I was a lawyer, a writer, and a blogger and that I wanted to publish their response.  I wanted to know why they weren’t in court challenging these conditions, and if they weren’t going to do that, I wanted to know why.   I got no answers. I did get 2 non-responses: an auto reply to my inquiry, and an email addressed to me that didn’t answer any questions:

    Thank you for your inquiry.  Recent information about the status of the case is available at http://www.armycourtmartialdef…  You can also follow updates regarding the case on twitter at armycmdefense.

    Best,

    David

    I’m happy to sign aother petition.  I’m happy to do whatever I can.  But most important at the moment,  I want to know why the lawyers who are defending Manning aren’t fighting these pre-trial conditions.

    • TMC on January 21, 2011 at 19:26
    • #

    Finally, Manning’s lawyer has filed a complaint about his prison conditions. From Jane Hamsher:

    For over five months, Bradley Manning has been held under Prevention of Injury (POI) watch at the Quantico Brig against the recommendations of three forensic psychiatrists. Manning’s attorney, David Coombs, has filed an Article 138 Complaint under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, asserting that this represents an abuse of Brig Commander James Averhart’s discretion.

    Coombs’ complaint was filed after the Brig Commander placed Manning under “suicide risk” and MAX custody earlier this week, which made his conditions dramatically worse. Glenn Greenwald broke the story about the inhumane conditions of Manning’s pre-trial confinement last month, shortly before the New York Times reported that the Justice Department strategy regarding Wikileaks was to “persuade” Manning to testify against Julain Assange.. . . . .

    Bradley Manning has not been convicted of anything. Abusing his mental health classification while attempting to “persuade” him to testify against Julian Assange has alarming echoes of the techniques used to elicit false confessions from terrorist suspects.  It should alarm everyone that we could be watching pre-trial coersion becoming acceptable American shores.  If so, we can all wave goodbye to “innocent until proven guilty.”

  5. with the advent of citizens’ efforts to expose his “illegal” conditions of torture.  In an e-mail to me:

    From David Swanson

    On Tuesday, for no stated reason whatsoever, Manning’s jailers put him on suicide watch. This meant that he was isolated for 24 hours a day instead of 23, the glasses he needs to see were taken away, and other harsh conditions imposed. Two days later, for no stated reason whatsoever, Manning was taken off suicide watch again. It appears likely that he was punished in response to our protest. As a result, we’re all going to crawl under our beds and hide, promising never to use the First Amendment again in our lives. . . . . (emphasis mine)

    You see, it’s like this, in a lawless country, you can do whatever the hell you wish!  Is it not true????

    We MUST continue to scream out on Bradley Manning’s behalf.  My honest view is that this was a young man of morals and principles and that which he saw impacted him so greatly, mentally, emotionally and physically, that he had no choice but to listen to his foundation of morals and he did what he did.  Mind you, and all of you know this, had our government been earnest with us in any way shape or form, there would have been no Wikileaks, or Bradley Manning voices!  

    We MUST support the bravery of those who offer TRUTH!



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