Bradley Manning’s Pretrial Hearing Begins
Friday marked the first day of Pvt. Bradley Manning's hearing at Fort Meade, Md., and it wasn't without some courtroom commotion. Lawyer David Coombs, who is representing the accused WikiLeaks informer, came out swinging by requesting that the investigating officer in charge of Manning's case recuse himself.
Friday marked the first day of Pvt. Bradley Manning’s hearing at Fort Meade, Md., and it wasn’t without some courtroom commotion. Lawyer David Coombs, who is representing the accused WikiLeaks informer, came out swinging by requesting that the investigating officer in charge of Manning’s case recuse himself. Meanwhile, supporters gathered outside the military court to signal their loyalties to the 23-year-old detainee. –KA
Wait, before you go…BBC:
Defence lawyer David Coombs said Lt Col Paul Almanza, a former military judge, was “biased”.
Lt Col Almanza is a former military judge who now works for the Department of Justice. His refusal to accept all but two of 38 defence witnesses meant the defence could not adequately make their case, Mr Coombs said.
Following two recesses and arguments by the prosecution and the defence, the investigating officer refused to recuse himself and the hearing continued.
Proceedings are expected to last around five days, after which recommendations will be made to a military general, who will decide whether to proceed to a full trial, according to Mr Coombs.
The BBC’s Paul Adams says the soldier’s defence team is likely to argue that little harm came of the leaks, and that their release was in the greater public interest.
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Manning is facing more than $256,000 in fines, which have been accumulating at a rate of $1,000 a day.
Famous Britons join the crowd protesting U.S. espionage charges against the founder of WikiLeaks, the secret-spilling website.
The global security state, which is not bound by the rule of law, will target all who defy it.
In a blistering letter to the U.S. government, Special Rapporteur Nils Melzer condemns the whistleblower's indefinite imprisonment.
Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning are being persecuted for speaking truth to power.
Several nations have played a role in the WikiLeaks publisher’s downfall as corporate media stands idly by.
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