Welsh relatives of US whistleblower Chelsea Manning have made claims that she was “tortured” by US authorities, reports Pink News.
Following the release of a CIA report into torture last week, relatives of the 26 year old army Private – who was sentenced to 35 years in jail for leaking classified information to WikiLeaks – alleged she has suffered similar treatment.
Her Welsh aunt Sharon Staples, from Haverfordwest, and Wales-born mum Susan Manning have spoken of their love and support for the imprisoned whistleblower.
But they also echoed claims in 2012 by UN special rapporteur Juan Mendez that the cruel treatment suffered by Manning after her arrest amounted to torture.
Speaking to WalesOnline, Manning’s aunt Mrs Staples said: “What really hurt me was the treatment Chelsea received in Quantico two years before the trial: stripped naked, kept in solitary confinement, made to stand in a corner, everything taken away.”
Manning was locked up for up to 23 hours a day over a period of 11 months during solitary confinement, it has been reported.
Mrs Staples added: “Chelsea has been punished for releasing information [to WikiLeaks] , but whatever happened to the people responsible, the people in that helicopter gunship for instance – were they punished? That always plays heavily on my mind.”
Manning is currently suing the US Department of Defense for access to transition treatment. She has previously said she is banned from presenting as female and denied treatment despite it being a “medical necessity”.
