UN Official Nils Melzer Equates Chelsea Manning Incarceration to Torture

Nils Melzer, the U.N.’s special rapporteur on torture, stated in his letter that coercive jail sentences like those imposed on Manning amount to torture under international law and called for Manning’s release.

Prosecutors and the judge have said that Manning faces the same obligations as all citizens to comply with lawful subpoenas and that she can end her jail term at any time by agreeing to testify.