Pirate Party Australia finds the guilty verdicts handed down in the case of prominent whistleblower, US Pfc Bradley Manning, to be deeply disturbing. Fortunately for the former US Army Private, Mr Manning was found not guilty of aiding the enemy, a bittersweet victory for both himself and journalistic integrity[1].
Mr Manning provided a wealth of classified material, including the infamous ‘Collateral Murder’ video portraying the murder of 11 unarmed civilians in Baghdad, including two Reuters’ journalists, in 2007[2]. The release of this video, among other material, elevated WikiLeaks from relative obscurity to one of the most well known and controversal journalistic organisations in the world today.
Pirate Party Australia is of the opinion that, in light of the war crimes exposed, the revelations of government corruption, and the evidence of a deliberate, systematic misinformation campaign targeted at the public, Bradley Manning should have been acquitted of all charges. Mr Manning has been held in conditions that have been publicly condemned by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture for three years before finally being sentenced. His treatment has been described by the Rapporteur as “cruel, inhuman and degrading” and prejudicial to the presumption of innocence[3].
“What does this decision mean for other potential whistleblowers and the future of investigative journalism?” asked Melanie Thomas, Lead Qld Senate candidate. “The freedom of the press is critical to democracy, providing a much needed counterbalance that holds the Government accountable to the public for its actions. The importance of this is apparent in the direct correlation between oppression of the press and the prevalence of human rights abuses in any given country.”
Revelations brought to light by the release of US diplomatic cables provided to WikiLeaks by Mr Manning fuelled the Arab Spring uprising across the Middle East[4]. Much of what is known about the mistreatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay and the ‘enhanced interrogation’ tactics endorsed by the United States were divulged by leaks attributed to Mr Manning[5]. Daniel Ellsberg, the whistleblower who in 1971 famously revealed the ‘Pentagon Papers’ showing that the US Administration had lied to both the public & Congress regarding military operations in Vietnam, has publicly hailed Manning as a ‘hero.’ Mr Ellsberg stated that Manning “doesn’t owe a debt to society, in my opinion. Society owes a debt to him.”[6]
It is apparent to the Pirate Party that the conviction of Bradley Manning is just another chapter in the Obama Administration’s effective declaration of war on whistleblowers and investigative journalism. As the press becomes increasingly stripped of their right to offer negative criticism of a nations’ leadership without fear of prosecution, the threat of tyranny poses a very real concern for the future of our freedom.
[1] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/30/bradley-manning-trial-verdict-live
[2] http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/us-military-slayed-unarmed-iraqi-civilians/story-e6frg6so-1225850342238
[3] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/12/bradley-manning-cruel-inhuman-treatment-un
[4] http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/07/what-snowden-learned-mannings-mistakes/67772/
[5] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10212406/US-soldier-Bradley-Manning-cleared-of-aiding-the-enemy-in-WikiLeaks-case.html
[6] http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2013/0726/Bradley-Manning-trial-Leakers-Julian-Assange-and-Daniel-Ellsberg-weigh-in-video