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<span class="story-date"> <span class="date">[And some UN reports
indicate that he has been subject to cruel and inhumane
treatment...]<br>
<br>
23 February 2013</span>
<span class="time-text">Last updated at </span><span class="time">03:43
GMT</span> </span>
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<h1 class="story-header">Bradley Manning supporters stage UK events
</h1>
<div class="caption"> <img
src="cid:part1.05040201.07020205@gmail.com" alt="Pte Bradley
Manning is escorted by military police as he departs the
courtroom at Fort Meade, Maryland" height="224" width="224"> <span
style="width:224px;">Pte Mannings's trial is due to start next
month</span> </div>
the UK, and the rest of the world, to mark the 1,000th day spent in
prison by alleged Wikileaks source Bradley Manning.
<p>Pte Manning, 25, was detained in May 2010 in Iraq on suspicion of
passing secret files to the website. </p>
<p>The US Army analyst faces 22 charges, including aiding the enemy.
If convicted, he could be jailed for life.</p>
<p>A series of events will be held across the US and Europe,
including in London, Edinburgh, Yorkshire and Cardiff.</p>
<p>"There has never been a more important time to broadcast our
message of support for exposing war crimes, international justice,
and people's right to know what the government does in our name,"
said a spokesman for US-based campaign group.</p>
<p>Whistle-blowing Wikileaks became known for publishing sensitive
material from governments and other high-profile organisations,
including thousands of US embassy cables.</p>
<p>Its founder Julian Assange remains at the Ecuadorean embassy in
London, where he took refuge last June. </p>
<p>Mr Assange, 41, faces extradition to Sweden over sexual assault
claims - allegations he denies.</p>
<p>He fears onward extradition to the US to face charges over the
leaked files.</p>
<span class="cross-head">'Tragic hero'</span>
<p>Events are <a
href="http://www.bradleymanning.org/news/on-february-23-international-protests-of-bradley-mannings-1000th-day-in-jail-without-trial">planned
across the UK</a> on Saturday, including a solidarity vigil in
Birmingham and a picket at the US embassy in London, to mark 1,000
days of Pte Manning's imprisonment.</p>
<p>His trial is expected to start on 6 March.</p>
<p>Last month, a military judge at a pre-trial hearing in Fort
Meade, Maryland, ruled Pte Manning would have 112 days taken off
his sentence if he is convicted. The judge said Pte Manning had
suffered illegal punishment during his nine-month detention
following his arrest. </p>
<p>Pte Manning wants the charges dropped because of his ordeal.</p>
<p>He has offered to take responsibility for leaking more than
250,000 diplomatic cables and classified files to Wikileaks - but
the US government is still planning to prosecute him on all 22
charges.</p>
<p>New York civil rights lawyer Chase Madar, who has written a book
about Pte Manning, said he believed he was a "tragic hero".</p>
<p>"There is still a perception that the US is at risk from military
leaks - but I believe what he did was a good thing, both for the
United States and for the rest of the world," he said.</p>
<p>"The documents leaked represented less than 1% of what Washington
classified in the whole of 2011."</p>
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