Bradley Manning case sparks UN criticism of US government
UN torture representative suggests White House stalling his private meeting with American soldier
Ewen MacAskill in Washington
guardian.co.uk, Monday 11 April 2011 20.42 BST
A senior United Nations representative on torture, Juan Mendez, issued a rare reprimand to the US government on Monday for failing to allow him to meet in private Bradley Manning, the American soldier held in a military prison accused of being the WikiLeaks source. It is the kind of censure that the UN normally reserves for authoritarian regimes around the world.
Mendez, the UN special rapporteur on torture, said: "I am deeply disappointed and frustrated by the prevarication of the US government with regard to my attempts to visit Mr Manning."
Manning's supporters claim that the US is being vindictive in its treatment of Manning, who is held at the Marine base at Quantico, Virginia, in conditions they describe as inhumane.
Mendez, who has been investigating complaints about his treatment since before Christmas, said the US department of defence would not allow him to make an "official" visit, only a "private" one. An "official" visit would mean he meets Manning without a guard present. A "private" visit means with a guard and anything the prisoner says could be used in the planned court-martial.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/11/bradley-manning-juan-mendez-torture