Amnesty urges UK action on Bradley Manning
Amnesty International has today called on the British government to help ease the “harsh and punitive” detention conditions of Bradley Manning, the US soldier suspected of leaking information to WikiLeaks.
It has emerged that Manning is of Welsh heritage from his mother’s side.
Under the British Nationality Act of 1981, anyone born outside the UK after 1 January 1983 who has a mother who is a UK citizen by birth is British by descent, according to the Guardian.
Amnesty’s UK director, Kate Allen, sent a statement to the press last night saying:
His Welsh parentage means the UK government should demand his ‘maximum custody’ status does not impair his ability to defend himself.
We would also like to see Foreign Office officials visiting him just as they would any other British person detained overseas and potentially facing trial on very serious charges.
Amnesty are calling on the government to ensure that the army private’s detention conditions adhered to international standards.
---------------------------
| Tweet |
Sunny Hundal is editor of LC. Also: on Twitter, at Pickled Politics and Guardian CIF.
· Other posts by Sunny Hundal
Story Filed Under: News
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Reader comments
Be nice to Bradley Manning because his mum is from Wales; good luck with that one.
International standards should be adhered to whether he’s British or not. That’s why they are (a) international, and (b) standards.
Not convinced arguing he’s British is going to help though given America’s disregard for the rights of non-Americans. Better to appeal to their sense of patriotism for a fellow American who has served his country.
If he’s British he deserves the protection of our government. If he’s not British, our government should protect him by seeking to uphold international legal standards, like, um, they did by resisting “rendition” flights through our airspace, bastards.
@ 2
“Not convinced arguing he’s British is going to help though given America’s disregard for the rights of non-Americans”
Agree, but this is more a legalistic excuse to do what’s right in the first place: make sure that Manning is treated fairly. I can see how it might backfire, though.
On the other hand, isn’t there a fairly famous international convention that forbids the US’s treatmean of Manning and political prisoners in general? Starts with a G. Sounds sorta Swiss.
He was born and raised in America, living in Wales for 3 years (age 13-16). He’s an American, The British Government doesn’t have sovereign authrority over him.
If a boy was born and raised in Britain to 1 American and 1 British parent, and was charged by the British government with releasing official secrets – would the American government have a say in what happened?
Reactions: Twitter, blogs
- sunny hundal
Amnesty Int'l call on govt to ensure British citizen Bradley Manning is being treated properly http://bit.ly/h8uoPZ
- cheesley
RT @sunny_hundal: Amnesty Int'l call on govt to ensure British citizen Bradley Manning is being treated properly http://bit.ly/h8uoPZ
- Police State UK
RT @sunny_hundal: Amnesty Int'l call on govt to ensure British citizen Bradley Manning is being treated properly http://bit.ly/h8uoPZ
- craashbang
RT @sunny_hundal: Amnesty Int'l call on govt to ensure British citizen Bradley Manning is being treated properly http://bit.ly/h8uoPZ
- Derek Bryant
RT @sunny_hundal Amnesty Int'l call on govt to ensure British citizen Bradley Manning is being treated properly http://bit.ly/h8uoPZ
- House Of Twits
RT @sunny_hundal Amnesty Int'l call on govt to ensure British citizen Bradley Manning is being treated properly http://bit.ly/h8uoPZ
- Batcheeba
RT @sunny_hundal: Amnesty Int'l call on govt to ensure British citizen Bradley Manning is being treated properly http://bit.ly/h8uoPZ
- Jan Bennett
RT @sunny_hundal: Amnesty Int'l call on govt to ensure British citizen Bradley Manning is being treated properly http://bit.ly/h8uoPZ
- Warren Puckett
RT @sunny_hundal: Amnesty Int'l call on govt to ensure British citizen Bradley Manning is being treated properly http://bit.ly/h8uoPZ
- Morten Årstad
RT @sunny_hundal: Amnesty Int'l call on govt to ensure British citizen Bradley Manning is being treated properly http://bit.ly/h8uoPZ
- Mary
RT @sunny_hundal: Amnesty Int'l call on govt to ensure British citizen Bradley Manning is being treated properly http://bit.ly/h8uoPZ
- Pauline Hammerton
RT @libcon: Amnesty urges UK action on Bradley Manning http://bit.ly/h8uoPZ
- Nick H.
RT @sunny_hundal: Amnesty Int'l call on govt to ensure British citizen Bradley Manning is being treated properly http://bit.ly/h8uoPZ
- Jacob Richardson
RT @sunny_hundal: Amnesty Int'l call on govt to ensure British citizen Bradley Manning is being treated properly http://bit.ly/h8uoPZ
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
You can read articles through the front page, via Twitter or RSS feed. You can also get them by email and through our Facebook group.
» Criticism of Obama for its own sake: a reply to Mehdi Hasan
» Do older people really need more NHS healthcare?
» There are alternatives to the reckless ‘Plan A’
» On Beecroft: it is already quite easy to sack people
» Why Cameron’s claim of 600,000 jobs created is plainly wrong
» By using age to allocate NHS funding, Lansley rewards Tory voters
» The rise in domestic violence deaths is not an “isolated” problem
» Adrian Beecroft highlights mindset of Tory right
» The US is now a model for the Eurozone to save itself
» The IMF plan to revive the economy doesn’t go far enough
» The Boris brand is weaker than his friends think
|
48 Comments 93 Comments 24 Comments 57 Comments 10 Comments 26 Comments 24 Comments 69 Comments 44 Comments 25 Comments |
LATEST COMMENTS » Chris Smith posted on BBC misrepresents gas story to help 'deniers' » Just Visiting posted on Red Tory Blond: gay marriage "homophobic" » Trooper Thompson posted on UKIP higher than Libdems over May » Trooper Thompson posted on Robin Hood tax: backed by the rich AND the rest, says new poll » Cylux posted on Red Tory Blond: gay marriage "homophobic" » Tim Worstallt posted on Robin Hood tax: backed by the rich AND the rest, says new poll » Just Visiting posted on On Beecroft: it is already quite easy to sack people » Robin Hood tax: backed by the rich AND the rest, says new poll | Liberal Conspiracy posted on Poll: banks not paying fair share for crisis » Chaise Guevara posted on Red Tory Blond: gay marriage "homophobic" » Chaise Guevara posted on Red Tory Blond: gay marriage "homophobic" » Just Visiting posted on On Beecroft: it is already quite easy to sack people » john b posted on Red Tory Blond: gay marriage "homophobic" » Cylux posted on Red Tory Blond: gay marriage "homophobic" » Shinsei1967 posted on Criticism of Obama for its own sake: a reply to Mehdi Hasan » Chaise Guevara posted on Adrian Beecroft highlights mindset of Tory right |










