Dear Friends, This is a new BRADLEY MANNING petition on AVAAZ - PLEASE SIGN IT AND CIRCULATE !. <http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Save_human_rights_whistleblower_Bradley_Manning/?cCTAqdb> It’s just gone live this week, and we’re particularly anxious to get signatures in the first week or so, because the more we get the more likely it will be that Avaaz themselves will then take it up and promote it to their 15 million strong membership/email lists, many of whom may not already know about Bradley’s situation. TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND EXTRA FUNDS NEEDED FOR THE DEFENCE The idea, as well as actually doing the ‘petitioning’, is to raise the public profile of Bradley’s case at this incredibly critical time as it continues through the Court Martial, and to also raise essential funds for the additional legal costs caused by the lack of speedy trial. ILLEGAL TREATMENT AT QUANTICO – ‘CRUEL, INHUMAN and DEGRADING’ The illegal treatment meted out to Brad for most of the first year of his imprisonment, which includes solitary confinement and being stripped naked, will be dealt with by the Court in a special hearing in the autumn - 1st to 5th OCTOBER - when the Defence will seek to have the charges dismissed on account of this violation. PROSECUTION DELAYS AND PROTRACTED LEGAL PROCESS = MORE FUNDS NEEDED Because the Prosecution (the US Govt) has withheld volumes of information sought by the Defence from as far back as Oct 2010, and is being consistently obstructive about evidence, the process through the court has gone on for far longer than anticipated, with the attendant increase in legal fees. Whereas it was thought back in April that all the fees were covered as the trial was expected to take place in May, a further eight months worth of fees are likely to be incurred, and there is thus an urgent need to raise money for the legal costs. The most recent guess for the date for the actual trial is now that it could be as late as Feb 2013. Meanwhile, the prosecution has limitless public funding, but the defence is entirely funded by donations, so it’s good strategically for the prosecution to cause as many delays as possible! MAKING AN EXAMPLE OF BRAD TO DETER FUTURE WHISTLEBLOWERS Bradley stands to suffer Life Imprisonment without Parole if US officials get their way, yet what he is accused of doing has given us evidence of the true nature of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, revealed widespread human rights abuses and shown up the corruption and collusion of governments and corporations. The authorities are evidently seeking to make an example of Bradley and warn off whistleblowers with chilling reprisals. But whistleblowers protect democracy and are salt and light in society – they reveal the truth to the public so that we can respond by calling for change. What we let the authorities get away with in respect of our whistleblowers will, in part, determine the kind of society we live in. Bradley’s lawyer said: ‘What happens in this Court Martial is of vital importance TO US ALL.’ And so it is. SIGN THE PETITION AND CIRCULATE THE LINK! <http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Save_human_rights_whistleblower_Bradley_Manning/?cCTAqdb>
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