UN to investigate treatement of Bradley Manning

[Kuya]

The United Nations is investigating a complaint on behalf of Bradley Manning that he is being mistreated while held since May in US Marine Corps custody pending trial. The army private is charged with the unauthorised use and disclosure of classified information, material related to the WikiLeaks, and faces a court martial sometime in 2011.

The office of Manfred Nowak, special rapporteur on torture based in Geneva, received the complaint from a Manning supporter; his office confirmed that it was being looked into. Manning's supporters say that he is in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day; this could be construed as a form of torture. This month visitors reported that his mental and physical health was deteriorating.

The Pentagon denies the former intelligence analyst is mistreated, saying he is treated the same as other prisoners at Quantico, Virginia, is able to exercise, and has access to newspapers and visitors.

http://www.guardian.co.uk//world/201...redirect=false

Glenn Greenwald:

From the beginning of his detention, Manning has been held in intensive solitary confinement. For 23 out of 24 hours every day -- for seven straight months and counting -- he sits completely alone in his cell. Even inside his cell, his activities are heavily restricted; he's barred even from exercising and is under constant surveillance to enforce those restrictions. For reasons that appear completely punitive, he's being denied many of the most basic attributes of civilized imprisonment, including even a pillow or sheets for his bed (he is not and never has been on suicide watch). For the one hour per day when he is freed from this isolation, he is barred from accessing any news or current events programs. Lt. Villiard protested that the conditions are not "like jail movies where someone gets thrown into the hole," but confirmed that he is in solitary confinement, entirely alone in his cell except for the one hour per day he is taken out.

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/gl...ing/index.html

In addition to confirming the facts I reported, Maj. Coombs added several disturbing new ones, including the paltry, isolated terms of Manning's one-hour-a-day so-called "exercise" time (he's "taken to an empty room and only allowed to walk," "normally just walks figure eights in the room," "if he indicates that he no long feels like walking, he is immediately returned to his cell"); the bizarre requirement that, despite not being on suicide watch, Manning respond to guards all day, every day, by saying "yes" every 5 minutes (even though guards cannot and "do not engage in conversation with" him); and various sleep-disruptive measures (he is barred from sleeping at any time from 5:00 am - 8:00 pm, and, during the night, "if the guards cannot see PFC Manning clearly, because he has a blanket over his head or is curled up towards the wall, they will wake him").

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/

Of note is that he is being held in solitary confinement even though he has not been convicted of any crime nor is he considered a dangerous prisoner. I think it's plausible that the reason this is being done to him is in order to get him to admit to something, whether true or not. At least, this is some of the stuff you usually do when you want to try to break someone.

[Yuri-G]

yeah, read this earlier and it's absolutely disgusting. solitarely confinement should be the last possible resort for convicted criminals whose behavior poses a serious threat to themselves and to the general prison population, it's completely unacceptable for a prisoner like Bradley Manning. and some of the other aspects of his imprisonment are just plain bizarre - having to say "yes" to guards every five minutes, not being allowed to sleep during the vast majority of the day, and being prohibited from exercising in his own prison cell, wtf?

whether you agree with what he did or not, this treatment is as un-American as it gets without involving physical violence. and it's definitely torture. but that's nothing new, American prisons are solitary-happy and it's something that needs to change. I'm not saying it should never happen, but we use it far too often and it usually just makes things worse by further unhinging the prisoner's mental state. it has been proven that solitary confinement will drive a person insane, without exception, given enough time.

on a bright note, thank fuck someone's finally paying attention to his condition, even though most Americans don't take the UN seriously enough for it to matter. I really hope something comes of this.

[Xno Kappa]

Oh look, another dumbass private bitching for being disciplined over doing something he knew was against regulations. Bleeding heart liberals who don't understand shit about the military unite!

[Caiyuo]

Wow, when reading about his treatment initially I really didn't expect anything to come of it for whatever reason. The linked timeline & Democracy Now! video were helpful in elaborating and reiterating some of what's in the article in regards to the use of solitary confinement as well.

[Yuri-G]

Oh look, another dumbass private bitching for being disciplined over doing something he knew was against regulations. Bleeding heart liberals who don't understand shit about the military unite!

well that was either some of the worst paraphrasing or the best trolling ever, congrats either way.

[Xno Kappa]

Nope.

[Melena]

The fact that where I work murder's and rapists are getting better treatment is kinda shitty. Military prison or not, you still have rules and regulations to follow. What has he done exactly that should mean he can't have the basics of a pillow or bed sheet or not be allowed to do any exercise but walking for 1hr a day?

[Correction]

Can't wait for the UN's scathing report and the US's subsequent inaction on said report.

[Odesseiron]

Should be put in front of the firing squad for treason. He's getting off light. Go ahead BG, Blast away!

[Ksandra]

Can't wait for the UN's scathing report and the US's subsequent inaction on said report.

I know it's terrible to say and for sure I don't want this to actually happen, but sometimes I wish the UN could beat us up. It saddens me to think how the US basically does w/e the fuck we want and the UN basically has to go with it because there's really no way for them to force us to do something. Yet if someone in the UN were to fuck up we'd be all over them.

[clobetasol]

He's an American hero, it takes guts to do what he did. He exposed this government and others for what they are, pieces of shit.

[Odesseiron]

[aurik]

Keep in mind he hasn't been convicted of anything, yet. He's in custody pending trial. Now I know that the USMJ system is different than the civilian system, but when you're holding someone pending trial in the civilian system, the point is that you're only doing so to guarantee the accused will be available to attend his trial and any subsequent sentence. "Getting a jump" on the punishment "coming to him" by jailing and punishing him early may run afoul of the 8th amendment and certainly the 5th.

[Arrmani]

I want to know how a private gets the kind of information that the Marines want to keep him in solitary confinement.

[Chicomagiko]

Should be put in front of the firing squad for treason. He's getting off light. Go ahead BG, Blast away!

2/10. No surprise since its coming from a 29 year old jobless loser :D

[Demosthenes11]

BARACK OBAMA IS RUINING THIS COUNTRY

[Odesseiron]

2/10. No surprise since its coming from a 29 year old jobless loser :D

Actually my job was reinstated today! So try again sir!

[Chicomagiko]

Actually my job was reinstated today! So try again sir!

Oh hey, that's good. No need to go to school and get that degree :D

[MarkM.]

I say put him in the general population, he's probably going to catch a shank or two and save the government the money of a trial.

[jmc]

I want to know how a private gets the kind of information that the Marines want to keep him in solitary confinement.

My buddy did intelligence for the USMC, he had extremely high clearance and was only ranked corporal.

From what he told me, rank with intelligence units doesn't really go hand in hand. USMC has a hard enough time keeping people in the units. (train for 6 months to become a marine >> graduate >> desk job/intelligence)