Bradley Manning's health deteriorating in jail, supporters say

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

As Julian Assange emerged from his nine-day imprisonment, there were renewed concerns about the physical and psychological health of Bradley Manning, the former US intelligence analyst suspected of leaking the diplomatic cables at the centre of the storm.

Manning, who was arrested seven months ago, is being held at a military base in Virginia and faces a court martial and up to 52 years in prison for his alleged role in copying the cables.

His friends and supporters also claim they have been the target of extra-judicial harassment, intimidation and outright bribery by US government agents.

According to David House, a computer researcher from Boston who visits Manning twice a month, he is starting to deteriorate. "Over the last few weeks I have noticed a steady decline in his mental and physical wellbeing," he said. "His prolonged confinement in a solitary holding cell is unquestionably taking its toll on his intellect; his inability to exercise due to (prison) regulations has affected his physical appearance in a manner that suggests physical weakness."

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/16/bradley-manning-health-deteriorating

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More details at the link.

[sabrina 1]

1. I wonder if they realize that their treatment of Manning will

help Julian Assange's attorneys when they try to extradite him to the U.S. on whatever phony charges they manage to come up with? No EU country can agree to extradite someone to a country where that person is in danger of being tortured.

[Historic NY]

2. Not exactly Manning is a Pvt US Army & US Code of Military Justice applies to him.

[sabrina 1]

4. I have read the US Code of Military Justice and nowhere in it

does it say that anyone suspected or even convicted of a crime, can be tortured.

But if it did, if torture was allowed under the USCMJ, it would be even more impossible for the EU to agree to an extradition. The EU treaties do not make distinctions about torture. They are clear, any country that tortures human beings, soldiers or civilians, will have their requests for the extradition, no matter what the crime, refused.

The treatment of Manning, if it is true, not to mention our record of torturing detainees, will be raised, not only by Assange's attorneys, but by every human rights organization on the planet. The threats against his life, his family's lives, some of those threats coming from elected and former elected officials, are enough on their own to give his attorneys ammunition to keep him from being extradited to this country.

But, from the Judiciary Hearings today, it looks like the U.S. may back off trying to find a crime to charge him with. Fortunately, more sane people realize that to charge him means having to charge every news organization that ever uses a whistle-blower as a source. I don't think it's going to happen, unless they trump up some other charge, like finding some woman to claim she was raped while he was here. But they've used that already, so it would be very hard to sell.

[Turborama]

3. If there are any concerns he might face the death penalty, extradition will be impossible

Various commentators and politicians in the US have called for the death penalty so this is a strong likelihood.

However, they could abduct him and whisk him off to a "black site" somewhere and "disappear" him.

On edit: That would be easier to do from Sweden, seeing as it's on mainland Europe.

(I'm back on now but only intermittently, it seems :hi:)

[sabrina 1]

5. Yes, but the U.S. would most likely say they would not be asking

for the death penalty to get around that.

However, the treaties also say that member countries cannot agree to extradite someone who is being persecuted politically, or who may be in danger of being tortured. And of course the threats of assassination make it unsafe for him here.

I doubt there will be any charges. Did you watch the Judiciary Committee Hearings today? I felt relieved to see that both Republicans, (a few reluctantly) and Democrats, plus the 'witnesses' who included Ralph Nader and Abby Lowell, more or less all agreed that to prosecute Assange would be a very, very difficult thing to do without prosecuting the entire media which would be a huge assault on the 1st Amendment. And any case involving that amendment is so difficult to prosecute, most of them fail. As Conyers said 'we hold freedom of speech to be sacrosanct'. He outright said that Assange had committed no crime. And Australian judicial system has apparently said the same thing. It was a slap in the face to those calling for prosecution.

One of the witnesses said they were very disappointed in the Attorney General's (Holder) statements regarding pursuing Assange.

I don't think they can kill him either, and in fact, they should hope no one else does, as they will get the blame. World opinion is so much on the side of Wikileaks right now.

[Turborama]

9. They don't have to ask, there just has to be a suspicion he could be executed or...

...treated in an inhumane or degrading way.


Although a totally different case, the failed attempts by the US to extradite Abu Hamza is an example of this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Hamza_al-Masri#Extradition_to_US



As Assange said in http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4663059">the latest interview...

...he was worried about the prospect of being sent to the US, adding: "There have been many calls by senior political figures in the United States, including elected ones in the Senate, for my execution, the kidnapping of my staff, the execution of the young soldier Bradley Manning ... that's a very, very serious business.

"The United States has shown recently that its institutions seem to be failing to follow the rule of law. And dealing with a superpower that does not appear to be following the rule of law is a serious business."

As I said above, I'm now worried about him being extradited to mainland Europe. Anyway, if the US wants to extradite him, Sweden wouldn't be any easier than the UK.

[Ghost Dog]

18. No EU country can agree to extradite someone to a country where

political interference by executive powers in what ought to be purely judicial proceedings appears to be prevalent, if not all-pervasive, and meekly taken-for-granted by public opinion in such high-profile cases as this.

... Indeed, the easily-executed manipulation and massaging of that meek public opinion by US mainstream media wall-to-wall propaganda is another factor that should be taken into account when considering such a high-profile matter as this. It would seem to render the selection of an honest jury a difficult task, and to all-but guarantee an unfair trial anywhere in the USA.

[sabrina 1]

19. Yes, I agree completely and if they do try to extradite him

I imagine it will be a huge embarrassment to witness the world's reaction. The crimes of torture, so far never dealt with in this country, but very much on the minds of people around the world, will receive worldwide attention, something it appears the U.S. government would prefer people keep quiet about.

[NightWatcher]

7. Thanks to places like Wiki we now know we torture prisoners

[corpseratemedia]

8. +1

[No Elephants]

6. Maybe something in the food doesn't agree with him.

[Luminous Animal]

10. If anyone would like to donate to his defense...

http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/858/1/

You can write to him, also.
Bradley Manning
c/o Courage to Resist
484 Lake Park Ave #41
Oakland CA 94610 USA

Tips for sending cards to Bradley: Remember, Bradley will only get to see the outside of the envelope the first time you send him a letter. We recommend you consider sending a postcard so he gets to see the picture. You may have to send several letters before one gets through. To facilitate this, consider making three copies of your first letter- then send it 3 times, one time per week for 3 weeks. With luck, the third letter will get through! Above all, don’t get discouraged if the letters are returned to you. Bradley Manning needs your unwavering support.

[sabrina 1]

12. Thank you. Why would he not get his mail, I wonder?

I hope the International Red Cross demand to see him now, since these allegations have been made publicly. He is clearly a political prisoner and they are treating him this way to try to get him to provide them with information, no matter how false being that it will given under duress and threats of torture, that would give them a case against Julian Assange.

They've had to give up on the espionage charges, so they are now hoping to get Manning to say he 'colluded' with Assange.

[Turborama]

15. Sounds to me like human rights are off the table in US military dungeons n/t

[burrowowl]

14. Thanks for the link!

[Luminous Animal]

16. You are welcome.

[kgnu_fan]

11. Kick for Bradley,--- America, please don't destroy our hero!

[burrowowl]

13. K&R for Bradley

How can we hlp?

[NuclearDem]

17. Another reason for me to be ashamed of my government

This is awful. :cry:

[killbotfactory]

20. Serves him right for committing...

Wait... what has he been convicted of?