Chelsea Manning, who leaked to WikiLeaks, hospitalised amid suicide attempt reports

We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.

Advertisement

This was published 7 years ago

Chelsea Manning, who leaked to WikiLeaks, hospitalised amid suicide attempt reports

Updated

Washington: US soldier Chelsea Manning, imprisoned for handing over classified files to pro-transparency site, WikiLeaks, has been briefly hospitalised.

The US Army confirmed Manning had been released back into custody from the hospital, American Civil Liberties Union attorney Chase Strangio said on Wednesday, following media reports she had attempted suicide.

Manning's medical condition was not released.

Manning was taken to a hospital near the US Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, early on Tuesday, US Army spokesman Colonel Patrick Seiber said.

Former Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted out of a courthouse in Fort Meade, Maryland in 2013.

Former Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted out of a courthouse in Fort Meade, Maryland in 2013.Credit: AP

CNN, citing Seiber and an unnamed official, reported that she was taken to a hospital.

Colonel Seiber said that officials continue to monitor the inmate's condition.

One of Manning's attorneys, Nancy Hollander, said in a statement on Wednesday that she was outraged over the release of her client's confidential medical information to the news media.

Advertisement

Ms Hollander also said the Army failed to connect Manning with her lawyers for a planned phone call on Tuesday, and the earliest Army officials could accommodate a call was Friday morning.

Chelsea Manning was convicted of espionage in 2013 and sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Chelsea Manning was convicted of espionage in 2013 and sentenced to 35 years in prison. Credit: Twitter

Manning, a former intelligence analyst in Iraq (formerly known as Bradley and identifying as male), is serving a 35-year sentence after a 2013 military court conviction of providing more than 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts to WikiLeaks.

It was the biggest breach of classified materials in US history.

Among the files that Manning turned over to WikiLeaks in 2010 was a gunsight video of a US Apache helicopter firing at suspected Iraqi insurgents in 2007.

A dozen people were killed, including two Reuters news staff.

Manning appealed to an Army court to overturn her court-martial conviction in May.

Manning's lawyers contend she was held in unlawful pre-trial detention for almost a year and that she was excessively charged so she would be exposed to undue punishment. They also argue that the trial judge considered evidence that was not related to the offences.

For support and information about suicide prevention, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800, and beyondblue

Reuters

Most Viewed in World

Loading