WALKING FREE

Chelsea Manning Released From Jail

But she could be back behind bars if she does not comply with another grand jury subpoena next week.

Chelsea Manning was released from a Virginia jail on Thursday, but could potentially be back in jail next week. According to Gizmodo, Manning spent 62 days in jail for refusing to testify about her former ties to Wikileaks before a Virginia grand jury. The grand jury's term reportedly ended, prompting her release. However, she was subpoenaed to appear before another grand jury set to convene on May 16. Manning has publicly stated she will not answer any questions before a grand jury, meaning she likely will be headed back to jail. “It is therefore conceivable that she will once again be held in contempt of court,” her lawyers wrote. “Chelsea will continue to refuse to answer questions, and will use every available legal defense to prove to District Judge Trenga that she has just cause for her refusal to give testimony.” In a recent court filing, she claimed she suspected that she was being forced to testify as a preview for her “potential testimony as a defense witness[.]” While Manning does not specifically say to what case she would act as a witness, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was recently arrested in the U.K.

Manning's previous efforts to have the government release her have been unsuccessful. Despite this, she said she was refusing to testify as a protest against grand juries meant to “entrap and persecute activists for protected political speech.”