Our friends at Fight to the Future have created a petition where you can sign on to a letter condemning the US Army’s treatment of Chelsea.
According to the Army, Chelsea swept food onto the floor in the
prison mess hall (unclear if it was an accident or on purpose). Then,
when pulled aside about the incident by a corrections officer
afterwards, she said, among other things, “I want a lawyer.” Afterwards,
prison officials found “prohibited” books and magazines in her cell,
including the now famous Vanity Fair with Caitlyn Jenner on the
cover. She was also charged with having “expired toothpaste” in her
possession. For this, she faces “indefinite solitary confinement.”
This may sound like an exaggeration, but it’s not. Below are the actual charges, word for word, from the Army.
Solitary confinement, as even Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy recently wrote,
is a barbaric punishment that can drive prisoners mad—yet thousands of
prisoners are subject to it in the United States per year. As Fight to the Future states, even if these charges against Manning are 100% true,
it is no reason to throw a person in solitary confinement for an
indefinite period and is a violation of anyone’s human rights - whether
they are a whistleblower or anyone else.
It should go without saying that the Army should drop these frivolous charges immediately.
We are taking donations to Chelsea Manning’s legal fund as she tries to fight her conviction under the Espionage Act. You can donate here.
