Chelsea Manning, the transgender soldier convicted of leaking classified information to Wikileaks, has reportedly been sentenced to two-weeks in solitary confinement as the result of a suicide attempt.
Fight for the Future, a group who supports Manning, broke the news on Friday in a post on Tumblr. According to the group, a prison disciplinary board at the military prison at Ft. Leavenworth, KS recently decided to “punish” Manning with a sentence of 14 days of solitary confinement (with 7 days suspended) for charges directly related to her suicide attempt in July, and possession of an unmarked book in her cell.”
The group also says Manning “attempted to take her own life followed years of the government systematically denying her access to medically recommended treatment for gender dysphoria….”
The Military Times reports the prohibited book was a copy of “Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy,” by Gabriella Coleman.
Manning herself released a lengthy statement through the group, saying she “was found guilty of the ‘Conduct Which Threatens’ charge. This charge was for the suicide attempt.”
She added, “My punishment is 14 days in solitary confinement. 7 of those days are ‘suspended.’ If I get in trouble in the next six months, those seven days will come back.”
Manning will now have 15 days to appeal the decision.
The Military Times report says a U.S. Army spokesman declined to comment on the reports earlier today.
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