Update 8/15/12: Dismissing charges based on unlawful punishment
“Manning was kept in a six-by-eight-foot cell for 23 to 24 hours a day and banned from lying down or even leaning against the wall when he was not sleeping”, quotes Democracy Now in their coverage of Bradley’s legal team’s motion to dismiss all charges based on unlawful pretrial punishment. If the court agrees that the brutal treatment Bradley received was illegal, he could be given increased (possibly 10-1) credit for the more than two years he has already served in prison while awaiting the court martial, or more appropriately all of the charges could be dropped entirely.
“The motion on “unlawful pretrial punishment” asserts officers at the brig made a decision to hold Manning in the harshest conditions possible, regardless of his psychological health”, the Center for Global Research wrote, detailing the brutal abuse of Bradley Manning in the 100 page motion released by Bradley’s legal team last week.
Supporters of Julian Assange are eager to hear confirmation from Ecuador as to the granting of his request for asylum. The confusion began when the Guardian quoted an Ecuadorian official as having said that Ecuador would grant asylum to Assange, and that they “see Assange’s request as a humanitarian issue.” However Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa issued a statement over twitter that this was false. A report from FireDogLake points out however that there is immense pressure coming from the U.S. to deny asylum, and that relations between the US and Ecuador have been strained for years over disagreements over oil production and Texaco. An official statement from Ecuador is expected this week.
I believe Bradley has been treated terribly. I will be making a point of following his progress. I want elected officials to have more respect for American citizens and less for wealthy lobbiests who undermine democracy.