Press release: In praise of British parliamentary initiative
For Immediate Release: Bradley Manning Support Network Praises British Parliamentary Initiative to Intervene on Behalf of Accused WikiLeaks Whistleblower
On anniversary of the publication of WikiLeaks’ “Collateral Murder,” activists applaud U.K. Parliamentary motion to raise Manning’s pretrial conditions with U.S. officials
April 5, 2011, San Francisco, CA — The Bradley Manning Support Network applauds the United Kingdom’s motion to intervene on behalf of the accused whistleblower. Manning, held in solitary confinement for over nine months, is alleged to have leaked a video showing two employees of Reuters news agency being shot and killed by American soldiers. Today marks the one-year anniversary of the publication of that video on the whistleblower website WikiLeaks.
In the House of Commons, Welsh Member of Parliament (MP) Ann Clwyd sponsored an early-day motion urging UK officials to confront the United States about the harsh pretrial confinement of Manning, who is held in conditions many have likened to torture. The motion has been supported by 37 MPs thus far. Henry Bellingham, the Foreign Office Minister, promised to raise the issue of Manning’s confinement conditions with the U.S. State Department.
Manning’s mother is Welsh and lives in Pembrokeshire, and thus Manning can claim dual citizenship by birthright. Bellingham has acknowledged that Ann Clwyd’s “understanding of the British Nationality Act is accurate” – namely, that Manning automatically acquired U.K. citizenship at birth.
“We welcome the support of the MPs, who join Amnesty International and activists worldwide in urging the U.S. to end this inhumane pretrial punishment,” said Jeff Paterson, steering committee member of the Bradley Manning Support Network and project director of Courage to Resist. “Thirty-seven British parliamentarians have shown their commitment to justice and a fair trial,” said steering committee member Mike Gogulski. “We hope to see twice as many American legislators respond with a similar motion.”
The Bradley Manning Support Network has raised over $250,000 thus far toward the defense of the accused whistleblower.
Learn more:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/04/bradley-manning-british-moral-authority?CMP=twt_fd
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The Bradley Manning Support Network is an international grassroots, nonpartisan organization which works to:
- Stop the extreme, inhumane and illegal pre-trial punishment of Bradley Manning
- Ensure that Bradley Manning receives top-notch legal representation from the lawyer of his choice
- Stop any effort by the United States government to hold a secret court martial trial, unchecked by public and media oversight
- Free Bradley Manning!
