Cruel and Unusual

WikiLeaks Suspect Bradley Manning to Sleep Naked

As a “precautionary measure.”

Things are getting stranger in the case of Bradley Manning. After the Army charged the private with 22 counts related to illegally downloading classified documents later published by WikiLeaks, which could result in a death sentence, he will now be stripped of his clothing every night as a “precautionary measure” to prevent him from harming himself, according to an official at the Marine brig in Quantico, Virginia, where Manning is imprisoned. Also, Manning must stand outside his cell naked during morning inspection, after which point his clothes are returned to him. Manning’s supporters, meanwhile, don't think the accused private is suicidal, and feel the conditions may be a tactic to pressure Manning to finger WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange as the fall guy. Manning’s lawyer, David E. Coombs, criticized the policy in a blog post Friday, calling it an unjustified “humiliation.” The military refused to explain what prompted these increased safety measures because, they said, doing so would be a violation of Manning’s privacy.