Saturday, December 22, 2012

Bradley's third birthday in prison. Help raise funds for his upcoming court martial.
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Bradley Manning Support Network
We just received a $10,000 end-of-year matching grant! A very generous anonymous donor has plendged to basically double your donation today.


Dear Friend of Bradley Manning,
This Monday, Bradley Manning turned 25, celebrating his third birthday in prison while awaiting trial for releasing important documents to the public via WikiLeaks. The government has delayed Brad’s court martial for over two years. But now we have big news: his court marital is expected to start in March 2013.
We’re writing today because we need your help to raise enough money for Brad’s trial expenses. We've had a generous donor offer to match the first $10,000 donated in December. Please make a donation so we can ensure Bradley Manning has the best defense possible when he goes to court.
We just finished a major hearing in Maryland. For the first time, Brad’s lawyer, David Coombs, presented evidence that showed the abusive conditions Brad was held in for eleven months.
In court, Coombs showed that Brad was kept on enforced “suicide watch,” against the recommendations of psychiatrists. This included solitary confinement with no access to sunlight, eyeglasses and clothing taken away, and even extreme humiliation such as being forced to stand nude for morning inspection. As Coombs stated:
"Brad's treatment at Quantico will forever be etched, I believe, in our nation's history, as a disgraceful moment in time. Not only was it stupid and counterproductive. It was criminal.”

Thanks to your support - financial and otherwise - we’ve helped fund the legal defense that allowed all of this evidence of torturous treatment to be submitted in pretrial hearings, giving Brad a real chance at seeing justice.
But the court martial will be our toughest battle yet – weeks of cross-examinations, evidence, and testimony will be presented. We are expecting this trial to last far longer than a normal court martial, potentially lasting for three or four months.
For more information about the defense fund click here.
Just to cover the costs of the trial, we need to raise at least $75,000. We’ll need even more to organize protests and public events around the trial. Can you please pitch in? Every bit helps.
It’s been a challenging and inspiring two years, and we couldn’t have done any of it without the dedication and unstinting tenacity of our supporters.
2013 is going to be historic. Let’s make sure we have the resources – financial and otherwise – to ensure Brad has the best defense possible.
Help us defend Bradley Manning – and the right of the public to know the truth – by making a donation today.

Thank you for all that you do,
Loraine Reitman
Co-founder and steering committee member,
Bradley Manning Support Network
PS We’re a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.

Help us continue to cover 100%
of Bradley's legal fees! Donate today.




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