Manning Will Never Testify Against WikiLeaks, Seeks Release from Jail for Her Silence

in #wikileaks5 years ago (edited)

It's been two months that Chelsea Manning has been locked up in jail following a refusal to answer questions about WikiLeaks or Julian Assange.


Source

The dirty unlawful system wanted to try to link WikiLeaks/Assange to the 2010 leaks that Manning provided to WikiLeaks. The most famous leak being the "film showing US Apache pilots blowing away wounded Reuters staffer and a van of Samaritans (two adults and two children)":

Collateral Murder - Wikileaks - Iraq

Manning was offered immunity to testify against WikiLeaks or Assange. But, she stood her ground, bravely defying the coercion of the secret grand jury. Others who were "commanded" to testify against WikiLeaks and Assange have left the U.S. for Europe instead. She knew this defiance would have consequences, but she did it anyways, answering with:

"I object to the question and refuse to answer on the grounds that the question is in violation of my First, Fourth, and Sixth Amendment, and other statutory rights."

Manning has been held in detention on charges of contempt for refusing to answer any questions in a secret grand jury inquiry last January in Alexandria, Virginia. At the time of her refusal to speak, Manning knew what was coming and spoke about the punishment being imposed for refusing to "play ball" with the witch-hunt grand jury:

""Imprisoning me for my refusal to answer questions only subjects me to additional punishment for my repeatedly-stated ethical objections to the grand jury system."

She had previously said how addament she was in standing by her principles. And to this day, she hasn't wavered.

"In solidarity with many activists facing the odds, I will stand by my principles. I will exhaust every legal remedy available. My legal team continues to challenge the secrecy of these proceedings, and I am prepared to face the consequences of my refusal."

Legal remedies are being sought now as her legal team issued a new legal argument to seek her release. An 8-page legal filing reiterating her principled stance and unity with Julian Assange and WikiLeaks to never testify against either. Manning spoke of the injustice of her confinement and the condition she is in:

"In an ideal world, agreeing to cooperate would avoid this situation, however, this government abuses the grand jury process, and forces me to choose between an unethical decision and suffering intimate and permanent consequences for doing the right thing. I am not willing to compromise for my own physical benefit."

"This decision comes at an overwhelming cost, My physical and mental health deteriorate rapidly in conditions normally reserved for short term confinement. I am almost entirely without sunlight. My skin regularly breaks out from bacterial infections. I gain weight due to poor nutrition, currently at nearly twenty pounds since March."

"Sleep and concentration remain difficult. Mental health access remains limited, without access to comprehensive treatment for complex post-traumatic stress — stemming in part from previous confinement conditions."

Manning has gotten "enormous support from all around the world" as she receives from dozens to hundreds of letters each day, but lacks "the resources or time to respond to even a small fraction of these." These people com from all walks of life, "from colleagues, educators, lawyers, diplomats, activists, factory workers, veterans, journalists, union leaders, store clerks, gardeners, chefs, airplane pilots, and politicians from all across the U.S. and the world at large, every class, culture, and age imaginable."

Manning is being coerced to testify, but she won't give in to the corrupt powers at play. Her letters ends by reiterating she will not bow to the authoritarian powers:

"I can either go to jail or betray my principles. The latter exists as a much worse prison than the government can construct. I digress a bit - but the point is, I’m not going to change my mind."

The times we live in seem like a madhouse. We have government and big tech growing larger and having a more powerful influence over our lives, with the authoritarian gangs at their disposal getting away with harm against innocent people as they engage in corruption across the board. Our societies are pushovers, and we're allowing our foundations to be eroded. Freedom, what or where will that be in 50 years?


Thank you for your time and attention. Peace.


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