David House to make a statement at Courthouse following appearance

June 15, 2011. Alexandria, VA — David House, a founding member of the Bradley Manning Support Network, was subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury this morning at 10:30am ET in Alexandria, VA. House is among several Boston area residents who have been ordered to testify before the grand jury, which is investigating WikiLeaks.

House and his lawyers entered the courthouse at approximately 10:00am ET, amidst a gathering of supporters who held signs with messages of support for House. The rally also called for government transparency and protection for whistleblowers — and for freedom for accused WikiLeaks source PFC Bradley Manning.

House and his lawyers exited the courthouse again at 11:50am ET. The grand jury is recessed until 4:00pm ET. House will appear then, and he and his lawyers will make a public statement outside of the courthouse following his appearance.

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.”

Kevin Zeese, an attorney with the Bradley Manning Support Network was among those gathered in support of David House today. Speaking on behalf of the Bradley Manning Support Network, Zeese said:

“It is heartening to see that some witnesses are refusing to cooperate with this campaign to conceal the truth. 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.”

Zeese and other supporters will return at 4:00pm ET to the plaza outside the United States District Court at 401 Courthouse Square in Alexandria, VA.