US Subjected Manning To Cruel, Inhuman, Degrading Treatment, UN Torture Chief Concludes

The United States government subjected Bradley Manning to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment following his arrest in May 2010 in Iraq on suspicion of leaking hundreds of thousands of secret State Department cables and other documents to WikiLeaks, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Torture concluded in a long-awaited report.

In an addendum to a report presented to the UN General Assembly on the protection of human rights, Juan Méndez wrote that "imposing seriously punitive conditions of detention on someone who has not been found guilty of any crime is a violation of his right to a physical and psychological integrity as well as his presumption of innocence."

Méndez told The Guardian UK Monday, "If the effects in regards to pain and suffering inflicted on Manning were more severe, they could constitute torture."

Spokespeople for the State Department and Department of Defense did not return calls seeking comment. Last year, PJ Crowley was forced to resign from his position as a State Department spokesman for publicly condemning Manning's treatment, which he characterized as "ridiculous, counterproductive and stupid."

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