Chelsea Manning supporters demand her release from solitary

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Supporters of Chelsea Manning have called for her release from prolonged solitary confinement at a Virginia jail, but an official disputes that she’s being held in those conditions.

Former Army intelligence analyst Manning was sent to jail March 8 for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. She served years in prison for leaking troves of classified U.S. documents.

The Chelsea Resists group says in a Saturday news release that Manning “has been kept in her cell for 22 hours a day. This treatment qualifies as Solitary Confinement.”

Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne says in a statement that the group’s accusations “are not accurate or fair.” The sheriff says the facility does not have solitary confinement but uses “administrative segregation” and inmates have access to visits, books and recreation.