VIRGINIA, USA — A lawyer for Chelsea Manning says the former intelligence analyst tried to take her own life Wednesday but was transported to a hospital where she is recovering.
Manning has been in jail since May for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. She was scheduled to appear in court in Alexandria, Virginia, on Friday for a hearing on a motion to terminate the civil contempt sanctions stemming from that refusal.
Manning served seven years in a military prison for leaking a trove of documents to WikiLeaks before President Barack Obama commuted the remainder of her 35-year sentence in 2017.
The Associated Press said Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne said Wednesday: “There was an incident at approximately 12:11 p.m. today at the Alexandria Adult Detention Center involving inmate Chelsea Manning. It was handled appropriately by our professional staff and Ms. Manning is safe.”
Lawyer Andy Stepanian said in a statement Wednesday that Manning “remains unwavering in her refusal to participate in a secret grand jury process that she sees as highly susceptible to abuse.”
