G.I. claims harsh treatment in WikiLeaks case - ABC6 - Providence, RI and New Bedford, MA News, Weather

G.I. claims harsh treatment in WikiLeaks case

By News Staff

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HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) - A U.S. Army private charged in a massive leak of government secrets claims his harsh treatment in a Marine Corps brig warrants dismissal of the entire case.

Pfc. Bradley Manning's civilian attorney released a 110-page motion Friday detailing the soldier's pretrial confinement conditions during nine months in Quantico, Va.

Manning has been held since April 2011 in medium-security confinement at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Manning claims to have developed a rash from being forced to sleep beneath a suicide-prevention blanket. He claims he suffered an anxiety attack after being harassed by guards.

The Defense Department has said Manning's treatment was in line with procedures designed to prevent inmates from hurting themselves or others.

His lawyers claim there was no legal justification for such restrictions. Manning is accused of giving classified information to the secret-spilling website WikiLeaks.