Chelsea Manning was barred from using the prison gym, library or outdoor areas for three weeks after she was found guilty Tuesday of violating prison rules, including possessing toothpaste with an expired date. Also included in the charges: Manning was in possession of forbidden materials-such as Vanity Fair’s July issue, which featured Caitlyn Jenner on the cover, among other magazines and interviews.
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Manning’s attorney, Nancy Hollander, said the prison charges include possession of prohibited property in the form of books and magazines while under administrative segregation; medicine misuse over the toothpaste; disorderly conduct for sweeping food onto the floor; and disrespect.
At the weekend, Manning said through supporters that she had been denied access to a prison legal library in advance of Tuesday’s hearing. As punishment, the disciplinary board may place her into indefinite solitary confinement.
The situation has thrust Manning into the spotlight as the tip of the spear for conversations around the treatment of transgendered inmates and the thin line between “whistleblower” and “traitor”.
“She also will carry these infractions through her parole and clemency process and will be held longer in the more restrictive security facility where she is now incarcerated”, said Strangio, of the American Civil Liberties Union rights group. Digital rights group Fight for the Future launched a petition urging the Army to drop the disciplinary charges against Manning.
Manning, who joined military service as a man, changed her name from Bradley to Chelsea.
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She had campaigned for today’s hearing before an administrative board to be open to the public, but officials denied the request. The petition received support from Roots Action, Demand Progress and Code Pink, and by Monday afternoon had over 90,000 signatures. A Pentagon spokesman who handles the Manning case said he would check on that claim. Manning’s supporters say the threat of solitary and the current disciplinary charges amount to torture, and is a kind of vindictiveness and retaliation for Manning’s outspoken criticism of US policies. “We are hopeful that the prison will respond by dismissing these charges and ensuring that she is not unfairly targeted based on her activism, her identity, or her pending lawsuit”. Leavenworth, Kansas, for leaking classified files about the war in Iraq.
