Remember Bardley Manning? One might be forgiven for not doing so. The man who is alleged to have passed on information to WikiLeaks has been treated by the Americans in the most inhumane, unprincipled and improper way. Now, no less than 3 Nobel Laureates - Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mairead Maguire and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel - have spoken out on Manning's behalf.
"We Nobel Peace Prize laureates condemn the persecution Bradley Manning has suffered, including imprisonment in conditions declared “cruel, inhuman and degrading” by the United Nations, and call upon Americans to stand up in support of this whistleblower who defended their democratic rights. In the conflict in Iraq alone, more than 110,000 people have died since 2003, millions have been displaced and nearly 4,500 American soldiers have been killed. If someone needs to be held accountable for endangering Americans and civilians, let’s first take the time to examine the evidence regarding high-level crimes already committed, and what lessons can be learned. If Bradley Manning released the documents, as the prosecution contends, we should express to him our gratitude for his efforts toward accountability in government, informed democracy and peace."
Read the full piece, from The Nation, here.
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