Thaindian News

Washington, Apr 20(ANI): Bradley Manning, the US Army private accused of sharing classified documents with the whistleblower website, Wikileaks, will be moved from near-solitary confinement at the Marine Corps Brig in Virginia to another prison under conditions that are less restrictive.

The Pentagon announced this amidst furor about Manning’s treatment.

Manning was reportedly forced to sleep naked for several nights, and then only permitted to wear a “tear-proof smock” because of what the military described as safety concerns.

“At this juncture of the case, we have decided that the new joint correctional facility at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is the most appropriate facility for Private Manning for continued pretrial detention,” the New York Times quoted Jeh Johnson, the general counsel of the Department of Defense, as saying.

Johnson insisted the move to Kansas had nothing to do with recent complaints.

“Many will be tempted to interpret the action as a criticism of the pretrial facility at Quantico. That is not the case. We remain satisfied that Private Manning’s pretrial confinement at Quantico was in compliance with legal and regulatory standards in all respects,” Johnson said.

Manning was imprisoned in Virginia in July 2010.

The 23-year-old has been charged on 34 counts, including illegally obtaining 250,000 US government cables and 380,000 records related to the Iraq War.

The most serious charge alleges he aided the enemy by making information public; a charge punishable with death.

A statement from the US Army said the prosecution team “has notified the defense that the prosecution will not recommend the death penalty”, but technically it is up to the commander overseeing the case to make the final decision. (ANI)