General

Soldier charged in Wikileaks case left naked in jail cell for seven hours

Lawyer calls treatment of Pfc. Bradley Manning “inexcusable and without justification”

Life in the brig appears to be worsening for Pfc. Bradley Manning, the Army intelligence analyst accused of leaking sensitive government documents to WikiLeaks. On Thursday, Manning’s lawyer complained that his client was stripped naked and left in his jail cell in the Marine brig in Quantico, Va for seven hours on Wednesday. On Thursday morning his clothes were returned, but he was first required to stand naked outside his cell for an inspection. The soldier was told he would experience the same thing again last night. First Lt. Brian Villiard, a Marine spokesman, said that the actions were “not punitive,” in accordance with brig rules, and that it would be “inappropriate” to explain them. Earlier on Thursday, a friend of Private Manning’s, David House, told reporters that the soldier’s mental condition was severely deteriorating as a result of being confined to his cell for 23 hours a day, largely isolated from human contact.

New York Times

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
FILED UNDER: