Lawyers condemn 'abuse' of suspected WikiLeaker Bradley Manning

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

American soldier's lawyers say holding him in maximum security and putting him on suicide watch breaches his rights

Ewen MacAskill in Washington | Friday January 21 2011 16.53 GMT

The lawyer for Bradley Manning, the army private suspected of leaking hundreds of thousands of documents to WikiLeaks, has filed a complaint that he is being unfairly treated at the marine base jail in Virginia.

David Coombs, Manning's lawyer, said that holding him in maximum custody over the last five months and placing him on suicide watch amounted to abuse. Coombs called for his removal from such tight monitoring.

The complaint was filed on Wednesday and on Thursday the marines downgraded his classification from suicide watch to prevention of injury. But Coombs argues that prevention of injury is not significantly different in practical terms and is seeking his removal from maximum security.

Coombs, writing on his office website, said that on Wednesday, against the recommendation of two forensic psychiatrists, the commander of the Quantico jail, James Averhart, listed Manning as a suicide risk, which meant he was confined to his cell 24 hours a day. "He was stripped of all clothing with the exception of his underwear. His prescription eyeglasses were taken away from him. He was forced to sit in essential blindness with the exception of the times that he was reading or given limited television privileges. During those times, his glasses were returned to him," Coombs wrote.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/21/wikileaks-bradley-manning-lawyer-unfairly

[CJvR]

1. Seems a bit...

...excessive, it is not as if he is a homicidal psychopath with special forces training to back up his insanity. Whatever damage he is going to do have been done.
Still if they take him off suicide watch and he were to take himself out they would be crucified.

[Riftaxe]

4. Would you support putting him

in with the general population, with the knowledge that some of the other inmates might have taken their oath of service seriously?

[blackspade]

5. That makes no sense.

Nice straw-man.
The rest of the prison pop obviously didn't take their oaths seriously or they wouldn't be there.
Besides, he has not been indited for any crime.
He is being held without charges or bail. Shameful.

[Mojeoux]

9. Your post is right to the point!!!! He hasn't even been indited!!!

He should be out on bail and under police protection. I worry about this kid so much!!

[msanthrope]

10. Charges were filed in July. n/t

[defendandprotect]

2. Really it's showing their fear of their own secrets becoming known ....

in this treatment of Manning -

Also of course an effort to warn others not to try it --

No need for this torture of Mannaging -- or anyone elese -- time for America

to make a turn around from Bush-like behavior!!

[gateley]

3. This is from The Guardian. Don't American news outlets care about this? (Don't answer.)

He needs to go on with Brian Williams or someone where he'll get a lot of voices listening to bring pressure on the government.

This is shameful.

[Smarmie Doofus]

11. No. Except to the extent that they want it OUT of the public eye.

We're dealing with a post-VN , quasi-mesmerized generation of videogamaholics to whom Manning's ethical dilemma is utterly incomprehensible. Witness some of the posts on this thread.

No..... they (M$M) don't WANT to cover Manning; people might begin to ..... thiiiiiiinnnnnkkkkkk.

[buckrogers1965]

6. Rights for all

Or you will have no rights when they come for you.

I have spoken out against Gitmo and the black sites for years now.

I have warned that if we allow the government to treat anyone with disrespect then that same disrespect will someday be shown to American citizens.

Manning is being treated like the prisoners at Gitmo right now. Manning is an American citizen and had not even been charged with a crime for months.

"Don't piss off big brother, or you will be next," is the message they are sending to every American.

[molly77]

7. The prisons in America are controlled by Arryian nations

brotherhood. Bradley Manning would not last long there. So says a comment from the Guardian. Does anyone know? I don't know anyone in prison or ever has been. Not really a population who blogs either.

[bongbong]

8. The way the US operates now

The way the US operates now, Manning is lucky he isn't being waterboarded 24x7 or being slowly eaten by rats let into his cage.

America WAS a noble experiment. Interesting to live in an empire that is crumbling around our feet.