Refusing to “Snitch,” Whistleblower Chelsea Manning Becomes Two-Time Political Prisoner
“I will not participate in a secret process that I morally object to, particularly one that has been historically used to entrap and persecute activists for protected political speech.” — Chelsea Manning
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA — Chelsea Manning was thrown in jail on Friday for refusing to comply with a grand jury subpoena related to sealed charges against WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange. She is ordered to be held until she complies with the subpoena or the grand jury process concludes, which could be more than a year from now.
The whistleblower has already spent more than seven years behind bars for her activism — in that case, for blowing the whistle on U.S. war crimes in Iraq.
In a statement, Manning said the following of her remanding:
I will not comply with this, or any other grand jury. Imprisoning me for my refusal to answer questions only subjects me to additional punishment for my repeatedly-stated ethical objections to the grand-jury system.
The grand jury’s questions pertained to disclosures from nine years ago, and took place six years after an in-depth computer forensics case, in which I testified for almost a full day about these events. I stand by my previous public testimony.
I will not participate in a secret process that I morally object to, particularly one that has been historically used to entrap and persecute activists for protected political speech.”
“Accept whatever you bring upon me”
MintPress News spoke with Manning and members of her support team on Wednesday as she fought the subpoena in court, and has also examined how the timing of Manning becoming the target of a grand jury comports with the larger U.S. push to have Assange extradited from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.
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