Protest Memorializes 1,000 Days in Prison Without a Trial

On February 23, International Protests for the Wikileaks Whistle-blower in Over 50 Cities

Bradley Manning has now been incarcerated for 1,000 days.  He has survived 9 months of solitary confinement torture, character assassination, President Obama and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff declaring him guilty. He continues to fight for justice and a fair trial.

There continues to be widespread support for Manning as evidenced by the dozens of protests being held in support of him. (Find events here or learn how to create one.) Events planned across the U.S. and internationally will mark WikiLeaks whistle-blower Bradley Manning’s 1000th day in prison without trial.  They include protests, vigils, hip-hop performances, concerts, art and theater. See below for details on the event being held in Washington, DC on February 24th at the Warehouse Theater, 645 New York Ave. NW, from 7PM to 9PM (doors open at 6:30 PM).

Bradley Manning has exposinged war crimes, corruption, and widespread abuse. Manning will return to court in Fort Meade, MD, on February 26th for a pretrial hearing. Judge Denise Lind is expected to rule on the defense’s motion to dismiss charges for lack of a speedy trial during that hearing.

There have been delays throughout the process. According to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 10, prosecutors were supposed to arraign Manning within 120 days but took well over 600 to do so.  In his motion to dismiss, attorney David Coombs laid out how the government has made an “absolute mockery” of Manning’s right to a speedy trial by violating the 5th and 6th Constitutional Amendments, Rule for Court Martial 707, and Uniform Code of Military Justice Article 10.

Nathan Fuller of the Bradley Manning Support Network explains the judges options:

“Judge Lind could dismiss charges with prejudice, if she determines the government intentionally delayed Manning’s trial, which would set the young Army private free. She could also dismiss without prejudice, which would allow the government to simply retry the case and restart the speedy trial clock. If she dismisses the motion altogether, she will condone the government’s unconstitutional delays and the deprivation of Manning’s due process rights. Manning would then proceed to trial, currently scheduled to start June 3, 2013 — over three years after his arrest in May 2010.”