Wikileaks tweets Bradley Manning’s conviction on espionage charges is a “very serious new precedent for supplying information to the press.” Wikileaks, which served as a conduit for Manning to spill U.S. secrets, characterized the conviction as “dangerous national security extremism from the Obama administration.”
Wikileaks’ response to Bradley Manning’s conviction:
Bradley Manning's convictions today include 5 courts of espionage. A very serious new precedent for supplying information the press.
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) July 30, 2013
Basic guide to honnest reportage. Manning has not been found 'guilty', but he has been 'convicted' of supplying information to the press.
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) July 30, 2013
Manning faces 136 years on the charges he has been convicted of today. Dangerous national security extremism from the Obama administration.
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) July 30, 2013
Amnesty International slammed convictions, saying the U.S. government’s priorities are ‘upside down:’
Amnesty International’s Senior Director of International Law and Policy Widney Brown said:
“The government’s priorities are upside down. The US government has refused to investigate credible allegations of torture and other crimes under international law despite overwhelming evidence.
“Yet they decided to prosecute Manning who it seems was trying to do the right thing – reveal credible evidence of unlawful behaviour by the government. You investigate and prosecute those who destroy the credibility of the government by engaging in acts such as torture which are prohibited under the US Constitution and in international law.
“The government’s pursuit of the ‘aiding the enemy’ charge was a serious overreach of the law, not least because there was no credible evidence of Manning’s intent to harm the USA by releasing classified information to WikiLeaks.
“Since the attacks of September 11, we have seen the US government use the issue of national security to defend a whole range of actions that are unlawful under international and domestic law.
“It’s hard not to draw the conclusion that Manning’s trial was about sending a message: the US government will come after you, no holds barred, if you’re thinking of revealing evidence of its unlawful behaviour.”
This was cross-posted from The Hinterland Gazette.