Adm. Mike  Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
    9999 Joint Staff Pentagon
    Washington, D.C. 20318-9999

    Gen. George W. Casey Jr., Army Chief of Staff
    1400 Defense Pentagon
    Washington DC 20301-1400
 
    Gen. James F. Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps
    3000 Marine Corps Pentagon
    Washington, DC 20350-3000
    
    Colonel Daniel J. Choike, Base Commander
    Marine Corps Base Quantico
    3250 Catlin Avenue
    Quantico, VA 22134-5000
  
    Dear Adm. Mullen, Gen. Casey, Gen. Amos, Col. Choike,
    
    The undersigned organizations are deeply concerned about the
    inhumane treatment of Pfc Bradley Manning, who has not been
    convicted of any crime, and yet has been subjected to six months of
    solitary confinement with no known end date. It has been reported by
    his attorney and a visitor that Manning's mental health is suffering
    from this cruelty, which serves no known judicial purpose and could
    result in Manning being found unfit to stand trial.
    
    Your conduct, as judged by the information available to the public,
    appears to be in clear violation of the Convention Against Torture
    and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, a
    treaty to which the United States is a party and which is therefore,
    under Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, the Supreme Law of the
    Land. The treaty is also enforced by US Code Title 18, Part I,
    CHAPTER 113C.
    
    The Uniform Code of Military Justice states that "No person, while
    being held for trial, may be subjected to punishment or penalty
    other than arrest or confinement upon the charges pending against
    him, nor shall the arrest or confinement imposed upon him be any
    more rigorous than the circumstances required to insure his
    presence." The same UCMJ bans cruel and unusual punishments
    following convictions.
    
    We urge you to come into immediate compliance with the law. As a
    U.S. citizen and as a member of the U.S. military, Bradley Manning
    has legal rights that are being grossly violated. If you have
    reclassified Manning as an enemy in some sort of war, the same is
    true. The US Code bans war crimes, defined as a grave breach in any
    of the international conventions signed at Geneva 12 August 1949, or
    any protocol to such convention to which the United States is a
    party. The following are a few examples of the rights you are bound
    by the Supreme Law of the Land to respect for prisoners of war:

    -Prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated.

    -The Power detaining prisoners of war shall be bound to provide free
    of charge for their maintenance and for the medical attention
    required by their state of health.

    -Prisoners shall have opportunities for taking physical exercise,
    including sports and games, and for being out of doors. Sufficient
    open spaces shall be provided for this purpose in all camps.

    This is not to suggest that Bradley Manning could rightly be
    considered some kind of Prisoner of War, but under international
    treaties which the U.S. has signed, EVEN POWs are guaranteed certain
    rights now being ignored in the case of Manning, a citizen of the
    United States. Manning is, in fact, being subjected to treatment
    almost certain to cause permanent psychological damage. Please see
    the enclosed letter from Psychologists for Social Responsibility to Robert
    Gates re. Bradley Manning on January 3, 2011. The following steps
    should, at a minimum, be taken immediately to mitigate the damage
    and increase the likelihood of Manning being capable of assisting in
    his own defense. He should be permitted:

    -Lifting of the baseless POI (prevention of injury) status that
    allows guards to harass him with inquiries

    -Extensive daily interaction with other accused but not convicted
    prisoners

    -His meals in a common area with other accused but not convicted
    prisoners

    -Nightly sleep undisturbed by light, noise, or interruption

    -Sleep during daytime as desired

    -Normal blankets

    -Sight at all times of daylight or night's darkness

    -Exercise in his cell anytime he wants

    -At least three hours outside each day, and access to basic exercise
    and sports equipment

    -Whatever reading material he wants
  

    Please contact us to discuss this matter further at 
  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 .

    Sincerely,

    Backbone Campaign, Bill of Right Defense Committee, CodePink,
    Courage to Resist, DC Bill of Rights Coalition, DC National Lawyers
    Guild, Defending Dissent Foundation, Democrats.com, Friends of Human
    Rights, Jobs for Afghans, Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition,
    National Accountability Action Network, National Campaign for
    Nonviolent Resistance, Peace Action, Peace of the Action,
    Progressive Democrats of America, Tackling Torture at the Top -
    subcommittee of Women Against Military Madness, United for Peace and
    Justice, Voters for Peace, WarIsALie.org, Washington Physicians for
    Social Responsibility, Witness Against Torture, World Can't Wait