From the NEW YORK TIMES:
…Meanwhile, the young soldier accused of leaking the secret documents that brought WikiLeaks and Mr. Assange to fame and notoriety is locked in a tiny cell at the Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia. The soldier, Pfc. Bradley Manning, who turned 23 last month in the military prison, is accused of the biggest leak of classified documents in American history. He awaits trial on charges that could put him in prison for 52 years, according to the Army…
Accusations from supporters that Private Manning is being mistreated, perhaps to pressure him to testify against Mr. Assange, have rallied many on the political left to his defense. The assertions have even drawn the attention of the United Nations’ special rapporteur on torture, Juan E. Mendez, who said he had submitted a formal inquiry about the soldier’s treatment to the State Department…
Colonel Johnson denied that Private Manning was in solitary confinement, as has been widely claimed, saying that he could talk with guards and with prisoners in nearby cells, though he could not see them. He leaves his 6-by-12-foot cell for a daily hour of exercise, and for showers, phone calls, meetings with his lawyer and weekend visits by friends and relatives, the colonel said.
The prisoner can read and watch television and correspond with people on an approved list. He is not permitted to speak to the media.
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The military is sure good at false speak. Prevention of Injury so they put him in confinement for 23 hours a day. He’s allowed to exercise, in shackles doing figure 8’s for one hour a day, but not even push ups in his cell. He can hear other prisoners in other cells, so that’s not solitary. Word bull.
Even with the false speak of the military throughout this it is good to see the Times covering it. A beginning. The pressure on the military will mount.