[governance] Bradley Manning supporters stage UK events

[Riaz K Tayob]

[And some UN reports indicate that he has been subject to cruel and 
inhumane treatment...]

23 February 2013 Last updated at 03:43 GMT


  Bradley Manning supporters stage UK events

Pte Bradley Manning is escorted by military police as he departs the 
courtroom at Fort Meade, Maryland Pte Mannings's trial is due to start 
next month
the UK, and the rest of the world, to mark the 1,000th day spent in 
prison by alleged Wikileaks source Bradley Manning.

Pte Manning, 25, was detained in May 2010 in Iraq on suspicion of 
passing secret files to the website.

The US Army analyst faces 22 charges, including aiding the enemy. If 
convicted, he could be jailed for life.

A series of events will be held across the US and Europe, including in 
London, Edinburgh, Yorkshire and Cardiff.

"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.

Whistle-blowing Wikileaks became known for publishing sensitive material 
from governments and other high-profile organisations, including 
thousands of US embassy cables.

Its founder Julian Assange remains at the Ecuadorean embassy in London, 
where he took refuge last June.

Mr Assange, 41, faces extradition to Sweden over sexual assault claims - 
allegations he denies.

He fears onward extradition to the US to face charges over the leaked files.

'Tragic hero'

Events are planned across the UK 
<http://www.bradleymanning.org/news/on-february-23-international-protests-of-bradley-mannings-1000th-day-in-jail-without-trial> 
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.

His trial is expected to start on 6 March.

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.

Pte Manning wants the charges dropped because of his ordeal.

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.

New York civil rights lawyer Chase Madar, who has written a book about 
Pte Manning, said he believed he was a "tragic hero".

"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.

"The documents leaked represented less than 1% of what Washington 
classified in the whole of 2011."

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