Update 8/20/12: Bradley Manning must be released! Supporters take action, Letters and Politics interview
“Bradley Manning must be released” states Julian Assange in his public address from the Ecuadorian embassy. Pointing to the abuse of Bradley Manning and the 815 days Bradley has been kept in prison without even reaching trial, Assange called for Bradley’s freedom:
“If Bradley Manning did as he is accused of, then he is a hero and an example to all of us, and one of the world’s foremost political prisoners. Bradley Manning must be released.”
Assange urged the United States government to do the right thing, by ending the witch-hunt against WikiLeaks and its supporters. Read more…
Bradley Manning supporters occupied Obama’s re-election campaign offices in three cities last week to protest Obama’s pre-trial declaration of Bradley Manning’s guilt and the administrations failure to uphold their campaign promise to protect whistleblowers. The article quotes Veteran Scott Olsen:
“Bradley had the courage to step up and do what was right. He blew the whistle. It’s time for veterans to stand up for him now, and that’s what we’re doing today,” veteran Scott Olsen tells US News & World Report from Obama’s Oakland, California campaign office. “It’s time President Obama ensures that Bradley’s mistreatment is accounted for,” he says. Read more…
In a radio interview with Letters and Politics, Jeff Paterson, director of the Bradley Manning Support Network, discusses the article 13 motion to dismiss all the charges against Bradley Manning based on the unlawful pretrial punishment he received at Quantico prison. In a ‘game-changing’ development, recently released documents that show that the orders to punish Bradley came from a three star general,
“this was an individual in the Pentagon far removed from the process in Quantico making an illegal decision to impose a punishment on Bradley Manning… everyone in that chain of command is clearly in violation of military law. They are part of a conspiracy to deny Bradley Manning his rights, his right not to be tortured.” – Jeff Paterson
Paterson points out that it will be difficult for the military Judge “to do the right thing”, as high ranking military officials have been colluding against Manning. President Obama declared Bradley Manning guilty without having had a trial, and he spoke with military officials about Bradley Manning before making a statement that Bradley’s treatment was “appropriate”. The motion hearing to cover Bradley Manning’s unlawful pretrial abuse is scheduled for October 1st-5th, and Paterson states that “it is possible that this [October motion hearing] will be the very first time Bradley Manning will take the stand.” Listen to the interview.
Thanks go to Jeff Patterson and the Bradley Manning Support Network for the article and the related MP3 audio file of the radio interview.
The excellent interview adds new information and an exclusive inside perspective on the trial court hearings of PFC Manning.
Peace.