[rad-green] UN Expert Calls Detention of Chelsea Manning 'Open-Ended, Progressively Severe, Coercive Measure Amounting to Torture'

*https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/31/un-expert-calls-detention-chelsea-manning-open-ended-progressively-severe-coercive
<https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/31/un-expert-calls-detention-chelsea-manning-open-ended-progressively-severe-coercive>Common
Dreams          December 31, 2019*



*UN Expert Calls Detention of Chelsea Manning 'Open-Ended, Progressively
Severe, Coercive Measure Amounting to Torture'*


*In a letter to the U.S. government, the special rapporteur on torture
called for the immediate release of the whistleblower.by Jessica Corbett,
staff writer*


[image: whistleblower Chelsea Manning]

*With the exception of a brief period in May, whistleblower Chelsea Manning
has been held in contempt of court since March 2019. (Photo: Sean
Gallup/Getty Images)*

United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer shared on social
media Tuesday a letter he sent to the United States government last month
expressing concerns that the continued detention of whistleblower Chelsea
Manning amounts to torture.

The Geneva-based expert
<https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Torture/SRTorture/Pages/NilsMelzer.aspx>
tweeted
in the early hours of Tuesday:

https://twitter.com/NilsMelzer/status/1211819067503521792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1211819067503521792&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2019%2F12%2F31%2Fun-expert-calls-detention-chelsea-manning-open-ended-progressively-severe-coercive

Manning, a former U.S. Army soldier, was initially detained in 2010, then
convicted under the Espionage Act in 2013, for sending hundreds of
thousands of U.S. government and military documents and classified
materials to WikiLeaks. In January 2017, outgoing President Barack Obama
commuted much of her 35-year sentence, and she was released in May of that
year.

Since March 8, 2019—with the exception
<https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/05/17/unprecedented-judge-orders-chelsea-manning-jailed-imposes-daily-500-fine-after-30>
of
a one-week period in May—Manning has been held
<https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/03/08/i-will-not-comply-chelsea-manning-sent-back-prison-over-grand-jury-refusal>
in
contempt of court at the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center in
Alexandria, Virginia. Manning has been imprisoned—sometimes in solitary
confinement
<https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/04/04/thank-frickin-god-chelsea-manning-released-solitary-confinement>—for
her refusal to testify to a grand jury about WikiLeaks and its founder,
Julian Assange, who is being held
<https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/16/100-doctors-demand-julian-assange-receive-safe-passage-australian-hospital-it-too>
in
a London prison as the U.S. government seeks his extradition.

Melzer, who also has publicly condemned
<https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/11/01/julian-assanges-life-risk-says-united-nations-expert-condemning-detention-after>
the
U.S. prosecution of Assange and the conditions of his detention, wrote in
the letter
<https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=24925>
(pdf)
dated Nov. 1, 2019 that "I express serious concern at the reported use of
coercive measures against Ms. Manning, particularly given the history of
her previous conviction and ill-treatment in detention."

Citing his obligations under the Human Rights Council, Melzer included in
the letter a list of requests for more information about the detention
conditions of Manning—who has made clear
<https://www.sparrowmedia.net/2019/05/chelsea-manning-and-her-attorneys-file-motion-declaring-she-will-never-cooperate-with-grand-jury/>
she
has no intention of testifying, regardless of how long she is held and
the massive
fines
<https://www.sparrowmedia.net/2019/08/judge-says-chelsea-manning-can-pay-fines-despite-evidence-to-the-contrary/>
she
is racking up. He noted that his message and any response from the U.S.
government would be made public within 60 days.

Melzer added:

While awaiting a reply, I recommend that Ms. Manning's current deprivation
of liberty be promptly reviewed in light of the United States'
international human rights obligations. Should my assessment regarding its
purely coercive purpose be accurate, I recommend that Ms. Manning be
released without further delay, and that any fines disproportionate to the
gravity of any offense she may have committed be cancelled or reimbursed.

I intend to publicly express my concerns in the near future as, in my view,
the information upon which my concerns are based is sufficiently reliable
to indicate a matter warranting prompt attention. I also believe that the
wider public should be alerted to the potential human rights implications
of these allegations. Any public expression of concern on my part will
indicate that I have been in contact with [the U.S. government] to clarify
the issue/s in question.

The special rapporteur acknowledged that in 2010 and 2011 his
predecessor expressed
concerns
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/12/bradley-manning-cruel-inhuman-treatment-un>
to
the U.S. government about how Manning—who was at that point publicly known
as Bradley—was treated in detention.

The U.S.-based digital rights groups Fight for the Future welcomed
<https://tumblr.fightforthefuture.org/post/189969367508/un-special-rapporteur-on-torture-condemns>
Melzer's
letter in a statement which pointed out that the special rapporteur's
message "comes as thousands of people have already taken action on a new
petition effort at FreeChelsea.com
<https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Ffreechelsea.com&t=ZmVhYWMyMDkzYTIwMWQ1NjE5MjYzY2JlMzRmYThhNDkwZjdlZTNjZCxPckFaS2hHSw%3D%3D&b=t%3AKMlLl9GOPd0Y9ROFg2ygww&p=https%3A%2F%2Ftumblr.fightforthefuture.org%2Fpost%2F189969367508%2Fun-special-rapporteur-on-torture-condemns&m=1>,
backed by groups like Fight for the Future, Demand Progress, Freedom of the
Press Foundation, Daily Kos, Roots Action, Media Alliance, and Defending
Rights, and Dissent."

The groups plan to deliver the signatures demanding Manning's immediate
release to District Judge Anthony Trenga of the the Eastern District of
Virginia next month. Manning, who already has served about nine months in
jail, can be held for a total of 18 months.

"The U.S. government's treatment of Chelsea Manning amounts to a
coordinated campaign of harassment and psychological torture," said Fight
for the Future deputy director Evan Greer. "Coercive confinement is widely
seen as a violation of human rights. Congress should ban this practice, and
Judge Anthony Trenga should release Chelsea immediately, in accordance with
international law and basic human decency."

"If Chelsea is not immediately released, U.S. lawmakers should launch
investigations into her ongoing detention," added Greer. "Individuals who
want to support Chelsea should sign the petition and spread the word about
FreeChelsea.com
<https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Ffreechelsea.com&t=ZmVhYWMyMDkzYTIwMWQ1NjE5MjYzY2JlMzRmYThhNDkwZjdlZTNjZCxPckFaS2hHSw%3D%3D&b=t%3AKMlLl9GOPd0Y9ROFg2ygww&p=https%3A%2F%2Ftumblr.fightforthefuture.org%2Fpost%2F189969367508%2Fun-special-rapporteur-on-torture-condemns&m=1>
."

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