Military Officials Sentence Chelsea Manning to 14 Days in Solitary Confinement for Suicide Attempt

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U.S. Army officials have responded to whistleblower Chelsea Manning’s attempted suicide by sentencing her to 14 days in solitary confinement.

Manning is serving 35 years in a U.S. Army prison for leaking a vast collection of secret government documents about the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Following her suicide attempt in July, officials charged Manning with three counts of misconduct, among them interfering with the “good order” of the prison where she is held.

During the hearing, which Manning said took four hours, she was not allowed access to an attorney or advocate. No publicly available record or transcript of the hearing exists apart from Manning’s own description. 

Jessica Glenza reports at The Guardian:

Seven days of Manning’s punishment will be suspended indefinitely, in effect reserved in case prison officials feel Manning poses further disciplinary problems. Manning did not indicate whether she intends to appeal the punishment.

“The term for this status is ‘disciplinary segregation’,” said Manning, in a statement released by Fight for the Future, a group advocating on Manning’s behalf. “There is no set date set for this to start. After I receive the formal board results in writing, I have 15 days to appeal. I expect to get them in the next few days.

“I am feeling hurt. I am feeling lonely. I am embarrassed by the decision. I don’t know how to explain it,” said Manning.

In the six years that Manning has been in prison, officials have refused recommendations to treat Manning for gender dysphoria disorder, although they recently said she would be allowed to receive gender transition surgery.

—Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly