Former United States soldier and whistleblower Chelsea Manning was freed from prison on March 12, after having served nearly 10 months for refusing to testify before a grand jury set up to investigate WikiLeaks.
On March 11, Manning attempted to take her own life. She was taken to a hospital and was recovering ahead of a scheduled court appearance.
Natasha Lennard wrote in : 鈥淲hile Manning鈥檚 release is vastly long overdue and most welcome, the framing and timing of the decision are galling.
鈥淥n Friday [March 13], Manning was scheduled to appear at a court hearing on a to end her continued imprisonment, predicated on her unshakeable resistance proving coercion to be impossible, and her incarceration therefore illegal.
鈥淪he endured months of extreme suffering, driving her to near death, but never wavered on her principled refusal to speak.
鈥淭he day before this hearing 鈥 and the day after she made an attempt on her own life 鈥 the judge ruled that Manning is 鈥榥o longer needed鈥 by the grand jury.
鈥淎s her support committee in a statement last May, 鈥楥helsea gave voluminous testimony during her court martial. She has stood by the truth of her prior statements, and there is no legitimate purpose to having her rehash them before a hostile grand jury.鈥欌
The judge denied a motion to waive US$256,000 in fines Manning was facing, which had been accruing at $1000 a day. However, a fund established by her supporters raised $267,000 in just over 24 hours,聽鈥渆nough to pay the fines and associated fiscal fees鈥, according to .
Another fund, created to help with Manning鈥檚 living expenses, reached its goal of US$30,000. It is still .
Explaining why she was compelled to resist, Manning told the judge: 鈥淚 object to this grand jury 鈥 as an effort to frighten journalists and publishers, who serve a crucial public good. I have had these values since I was a child, and I鈥檝e had years of confinement to reflect on them.
"For much of that time, I depended for survival on my values, my decisions, and my conscience. I will not abandon them now.鈥