The soldier behind the huge leaks of information that ended up on Wikileaks, Bradley Manning, has been in jail awaiting trial for nearly 1,000 days for exposing war crimes, corruption, and widespread abuse. Demonstrations are being organized to mark the occasion on the 23rd of February.
The Free Bradley Manning support campaign is organising events around the world in support of Bradley who is due an appearance in court for a pretrial hearing between the 26th of February and 1st of March.
“Judge Denise Lind will rule on the defense’s motion to dismiss charges for lack of a speedy trial. Defense lawyer David Coombs has laid out the ways in which the government has violated the 5th and 6th Constitutional Amendments, Rule for Court Martial 707, and Uniform Code of Military Justice Article 10 in taking this long to try Bradley Manning. Prosecutors were supposed to arraign Manning within 120 days but took well over 600. They’re also supposed to remain actively diligent throughout the proceedings, but Coombs has showed substantial periods of their inactivity and needless delay,” according to the Bradley Manning Support Network. “Bradley’s due process rights have been clearly violated, and the only legal remedy is to dismiss charges.”
Manning is also due to offer a plea bargain, offering to plead guilty to several lesser charges which could result in a 20 year sentence.
Of course by the time of any hearing in court, Bradley will have been in jail for over 1,000 days and events around the USA in addition to those planned in Vancouver, London, Berlin and Rome among others will highlight the terrible injustice that Bradley is facing for following his conscience.
Julian Assange, the Australian behind the wikileaks site is still a fugitive in the Ecuadorian embassy in London having been there now for over 240 days.
