Chelsea Manning has been thrown in jail for refusing to testify in front of a grand jury, in an investigation into Wikileaks.
In a statement released yesterday, March 7, Manning explained that she was summoned to appear before a secret grand jury on March 6; she claims that the questions she was asked all pertained to information she already disclosed in 2010. She answered every question by quoting her legal right to refuse to answer. In her statement, she added: “In solidarity with many activists facing the odds, I will stand by my principles. I will exhaust every legal remedy available. My legal team continues to challenge the secrecy of these proceedings, and I am prepared to face the consequences of my refusal.”
The Associated Press reports that Manning will be jailed until she complies and testifies. According to the BBC, activist support group Chelsea Resists! said: “Chelsea 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.”
Manning was released from prison, after Obama commuted her 35-year sentence, in 2017. In our recent cover story with the activist, she told Dazed: “It feels overwhelming when you’re in that and you’re alone, but knowing that you have a community behind you, a community that loves you and will show up for you – even travel to visit your court hearings – means the world. It meant the world to me.”
You can donate to Manning’s legal fund here.