European parliamentarians condemn White House treatment of Bradley Manning

letter refers to very serious breaches of the civil and 


human rights of Mr. Bradley Manning,

                        Bradley Manning Support Network

http://www.bradleymanning.org/

MEP's Marisa Matias (GUE/NGL), Christian Engström (Greens-EFA), Ana Gomes (S&D), Marietje Schaak (ALDE) and Christofer Fjellner (EPP), will present to the press a letter addressed that same day by themselves and 50 other colleagues of the European Parliament to President Obama, Members of the US Congress, and U.S. military authorities.The letter refers to very serious breaches of the civil and human rights of Mr. Bradley Manning, the young soldier whom the U.S. Army has accused of releasing classified information pertaining to possible US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.The open letter to the U.S. government specifically calls on the U.S. government to grant the request of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Juan Mendez, to meet privately with Bradley Manning. The US government has so far denied the request of Mr. Mendez, which was prompted by reports that Bradley Manning was imprisoned for an extended period in conditions of solitary confinement, nudity, sleep deprivation, and other psychological abuse.

The U.S. Army has accused Bradley Manning of "aiding the enemy," a capital offense that is punishable by death. The 23-year old soldier has been imprisoned for 17 months without yet having had his day in court. An initial hearing has recently been scheduled for December 16.