Lawyers: Chelsea Manning recovering after suicide attempt

Whistleblower Chelsea Manning, who is in federal custody in Alexandria, Va., is recovering after attempting to take her own life Wednesday, Manning’s legal team said in a statement.

Andy Stepanian, a publicist for Manning, said Wednesday that Manning was hospitalized after the event and is currently recovering.

“Ms. Manning is still scheduled to appear on Friday for a previously-calendared hearing, at which Judge Anthony Trenga will rule on a motion to terminate the civil contempt sanctions stemming from her May, 2019 refusal to give testimony before a grand jury investigating the publication of her 2010 disclosures,” Stepanian said in a statement Wednesday.

Stepanian said that despite being detained for over a year, Manning continues to refuse to participate in grand jury proceedings against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, calling them “highly susceptible to abuse.”

“Her actions today evidence the strength of her convictions, as well as the profound harm she continues to suffer as a result of her ‘civil’ confinement — a coercive practice that the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, recently said violates international law,” Stepanian added.

In February, attorneys for Manning filed a request for her release, arguing her detention is unlawfully punitive with no purpose because she will not testify under any circumstances.