Manning Held in Extreme Conditions

The website FireDog Lake is petitioning for better treatment for Army private Bradley Manning, who is accused of leaking the classified information leading to the WikiLeaks scandal and has been detained for five months at a Marine Corps base under extreme conditions.

Manning, who is reportedly gay, is being held in the brig at the Quantico Marine Corps base in Quantico, Va., under "maximum custody," with severe restrictions on basic tasks and functions of life, including sleep, according to FireDog Lake. Manning has not been charged with a crime, and no legal proceedings have been scheduled pertaining to his case. He is under a Prevention of Injury order, limiting his contact with other people, including the news media, and regulations on such activities as exercise and sleep. His attorney and psychologist say there is no need for Manning to be under such an order.

However, the Pentagon has gone on the defensive, saying Manning has the same access and privileges as other prisoners in maximum custody and that he can exercise, read the news, have visitors, and watch up to one hour of television per day. Manning denied these claims to FDL, saying he has not been allowed to read a newspaper during his confinement, he has not been outside in nearly a month, and that his bedding is "similar to weight and heft to lead aprons used in X-ray laboratories, and similar in texture to coarse and stiff carpet," according to the article.

The site has a petition asking for the Quantico Brig Commanding Officer to lift the POI order. David House, who wrote the article and is one of the few people who has been allowed to visit Manning, said he would hand-deliver the petition next month when he next visits the soldier.