Chelsea Manning hospitalised following suicide attempt
By Will Stroude
Legal representatives have confirmed that Chelsea Manning, a trans soldier imprisoned in America after leaking classified information, was hospitalised last week after a suicide attempt.
Details of her attempt have not been disclosed, but Ms Manning’s team have accused the U.S. Army of a “gross breach of confidentiality” for revealing that the 28-year-old had been hospitalised without her consent. The Army are yet to respond to this.
In a statement, Manning’s lawyers said: “For us, hearing Chelsea’s voice after learning that she had attempted to take her life last week was incredibly emotional… She is someone who has fought so hard for so many issues we care about and we are honoured to fight for her freedom and medical care.”
They added that Manning “knows that people have questions about how she’s doing”, noting that “she would have preferred to keep her private medical information private and instead focus on her recovery”.
I am okay. I'm glad to be alive. Thank you all for your love <3 I will get through this. #standwithchelsea
— Chelsea E. Manning (@xychelsea) July 12, 2016
Manning is currently serving a 35-year-sentence after being convicted in 2013 for leaking more than 700,000 secret military and State Department documents, which she has appealed against on the grounds that her actions were done out of naivety and a desire to bring the suffering that wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have caused to light.
The American whistle-blower’s plight has caused international outcry and garnered support from both trans groups and social justice organizations such as Amnesty International.
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