WikiLeaks whistle-blower Chelsea Manning confirms prison suicide attempt
Chelsea Manning has made her first public statement since she required hospital treatment last week, confirming that she tried to take her own life.
The US army private, who is serving 35 years in military custody for leaking US state secrets to WikiLeaks, has let it be known through her lawyers that she attempted suicide.
She is someone who has fought so hard for so many issues we care about
“She knows that people have questions about how she is doing and she wants everyone to know that she remains under close observation by the prison and expects to remain on this status for the next several weeks,” the lawyers said in a statement.
The comments bring to an end several days of uncertainty in which the US military kept silent about Manning’s condition while she was under medical observation and her lawyers were also unable to clarify what had happened for privacy reasons.
Manning’s lawyers, Chase Strangio of the American Civil Liberties Union, Vincent Ward and Nancy Hollander, said they had spoken to her after several days in which she was not in contact with anyone outside the military prison.
“Hearing Chelsea’s voice was incredibly emotional,” the lawyers’ statement said. “She is someone who has fought so hard for so many issues we care about and we are honoured to fight for her freedom and medical care.”