Bradley Manning supporter David House summoned for Wikileaks Grand Jury

Alexandria, VA — David House, a founding member of the Bradley Manning Support Network, is among several Boston area residents who have been ordered to testify before a federal grand jury convened in Alexandria, VA to investigate WikiLeaks. House is scheduled to appear tomorrow, Wednesday morning, June 15th.

Advocates of government transparency are preparing to rally outside the courthouse tomorrow morning starting at 9:30am ET, coinciding with House’s appearance. Supporters in Boston—where House resides—will hold an afternoon rally at 6pm ET.

“This harassment only increases our resolve to defend our fundamental constitutional freedoms,” said Jeff Paterson of the Bradley Manning Support Network. “By conducting the people’s business in secret and persecuting transparency advocates, government decision-makers have abandoned core American values.”

“The Justice Department’s unprecedented crackdown, not only on accused whistle-blowers, but also their friends and supporters, stems from the same impulse to silence legitimate dissent that has become a hallmark of corrupt governments the world over,” said Kevin Zeese, an attorney with the Bradley Manning Support Network. “It is heartening to see that some witnesses are refusing to cooperate with this campaign to conceal the truth.”

According to journalist Glenn Greenwald, “One witness who has appeared before the Grand Jury has already refused to answer any questions beyond the most basic biographical ones (name and address), invoking the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination to do so, and other witnesses are highly likely to follow suit.”

Rally details

Alexandria, VA Rally

The Washington Metro chapter of the Bradley Manning Support Network will coordinate a rally in the plaza outside the United States District Court at 401 Courthouse Square in Alexandria, VA. The rally will coincide with David House’s scheduled appearance at 9:30am ET on Wednesday, June 15, 2011.

Boston Rally

Supporters of David House and others who have been subpoenaed by the Justice Department in the WikiLeaks grand jury investigation will meet at the Boston Courthouse Government Center on Wednesday., June 15, 2011 at 6:00pm ET.