Chelsea Manning\u2019s long overdue scheduled release from a US military prison today finally ends her punishment for exposing classified information, including of possible war crimes committed by the US military, Amnesty International said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cToday is a day that thousands of Amnesty International activists across the country and around the world have been campaigning for throughout Chelsea Manning\u2019s cruel ordeal,\u201d said Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cChelsea\u2019s treatment is especially galling given that nobody has been held accountable for the alleged crimes that she brought to light. While we celebrate her freedom, we will continue to call for an independent investigation into the potential human rights violations she exposed, and for protections to be put in place to ensure whistleblowers like Chelsea are never again subjected to such appalling treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amnesty International has campaigned for Chelsea Manning\u2019s release since 2013, when she was sentenced to 35 years behind bars. Her jail term was much longer than for military personnel convicted of murder, rape and war crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, the US Army whistleblower was held for 11 months in pre-trial detention conditions that the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture deemed to be cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. She was placed in solitary confinement as punishment for a suicide attempt, and was denied appropriate treatment related to her gender identity during her incarceration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her case was part of Amnesty International\u2019s flagship annual campaign, Write for Rights, in 2014. Worldwide, nearly a quarter of a million actions were taken calling for her release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a letter to Amnesty International at the time, Chelsea Manning said: \u201cI support the work you do in protecting people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. It seems to me that transparency in government is a fundamental prerequisite to ensuring and protecting the freedom and dignity of all people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following years of campaigning by Amnesty International and others, former President Barack Obama commuted Manning\u2019s sentence before leaving office in January 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This week Amnesty International launched a new global campaign, Brave, aimed at highlighting the courageous activists and whistleblowers around the world who often put themselves in grave danger to challenge human rights violations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe US authorities\u2019 vindictive treatment of Chelsea Manning after she exposed potential military wrongdoing is a sad reflection of the extremes those in power often go to in order to deter others from speaking out,\u201d said Margaret Huang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cChelsea\u2019s release shows, once more, that people power can triumph over injustice \u2013 an inspiring message to the many courageous activists defending human rights worldwide who are at the heart of our new global campaign, Brave.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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