Lawyers: Manning’s Charges May Be Dismissed Over Mistreatment in Detention
Nine Months in Solitary Confinement a 'Denial of Rights'
Presumed WikiLeaks source Pfc. Bradley Manning may soon see the charges against him dropped, according to reports citing his lawyers as planning to file for a full dismissal of the case against him.
Manning, who is facing various charges under the Uniform Military Code related to handling classified materials, has been held is detention for nine months in solitary confinement and is said to be in deteriorating health.
Lawyers have been complaining about his abuse for weeks, saying it amounts to “unlawful pretrial punishment.” The extent of the mistreatment, however, could be enough now to justify abandoning the charges against him entirely.
With officials rallying for Bradley Manning’s summary execution, the dismissal of all charges would be a major embarrassment for the administration, but likely too for the Quantico Brig, whose treatment of Manning appears to fall so far outside of the legal standard as to make trying the case virtually impossible.
Last 5 posts by Jason Ditz
- No Deal: US Restarted Pakistan Drone Strikes Despite Objections - February 22nd, 2012
- Syrian National Council Demands Foreign Invasion - February 22nd, 2012
- State Dept.: Pakistani Taliban 'Not Welcome' at Truce Talks - February 22nd, 2012
- Israeli FM: Our Decision to Attack Iran None of US, Russia's Business - February 22nd, 2012
- Hunger Strike Ends, but Adnan's Detention Without Charges Doesn't - February 22nd, 2012
JLS
February 7th, 2011 at 9:47 pm
I hope this isn't just wishful thinking!
the lion
February 7th, 2011 at 10:07 pm
Julian Assange has been Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, Mannings name should also be added, if he actually did supply te information to Assange Manning did a far braver act.
Also if Manning was to be awarded along with Assange Joint Nobel Prize status it would make the US Prosecution untenable especially in relation to the NOISE that the United States made about the Chinese Imprisoned Nobel Prize winner Liu Xiaobo.
jeff_davis
February 8th, 2011 at 8:35 am
Puleese!!!
It's just his lawyers filing for a dismissal, for God's sake. The Govt doesn't give a shit what his lawyers do, or say, or think. What planet are you from? Manning is the only one they've got a holt of, the only bit of flesh they have to vent their frustrations on, in world-wide economic, political and military clusterf8ck of their own making. They're going to gnaw on this poor heroic schmo until there's nothing left. Dismiss his case? Kafka couldn't sell that.
Bradley Mannings exoneration, brought to you by the same folks who gave you "Change you can believe in."
Ike Hall
February 8th, 2011 at 9:34 am
I gotta say, you're probably right. Lawyers will say any damn thing in public to exonerate their clients in the public eye. It doesn't mean they actually have the judge's attention.
Good Luck
February 8th, 2011 at 3:14 pm
FWIW, it is still possible Manning is innocent as many people had access to the same data. The Wired Magazine correspondence between Manning and government informant Lamo may be exaggerated or perhaps Manning himself was just being a boastful internet troll that had not done anything.