Chelsea Manning Released From Jail After Suicide Attempt: Update

ALEXANDRIA, VA — On Thursday, a federal judge in Virginia ruled that Chelsea Manning, a former activist and Army intelligence officer, must be released from jail, citing she was no longer needed to testify before a federal grand jury.

Manning was jailed last year after she refused to answer questions before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. She was supposed to appear before a judge Friday, but was hospitalized Thursday after attempting suicide at the Alexandria jail where she was being held. Manning's legal team confirmed the suicide attempt in a statement, which also said she is currently recovering the hospital.

In March 2019, Manning was ordered into federal custody by a judge in the eastern district of Virginia after she was found in contempt of court for refusing to answer questions about information leaked to WikiLeaks. Representatives for Manning said she invoked her 1st, 4th and 6th amendment protections when she appeared before the grand jury.

Manning said she was prepared to face the consequences of her refusal.

In Thursday's ruling, a judge in the eastern district of Virginia ordered Manning's immediate release from jail, but denied her legal team's motion to dismiss fines that had accrued against her for each day she was held in jail and considered in contempt. Manning subsequently was ordered to pay $256,000 in fines.

The ruling also noted Manning's Friday court appearance had been canceled.

Manning was first arrested in 2010 after she provided nearly 750,000 documents to Wikileaks that included documents about the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, State Department cables, and information about prisoners in Guantanamo Bay.

Manning was sentenced to serve 35 years in prison but former President Barack Obama commuted her sentence in 2017. The commutation was criticized by some, including President Trump, who tweeted shortly after his inauguration, "ungrateful TRAITOR Chelsea Manning, who should never have been released from prison, is now calling President Obama a weak leader. Terrible!"

The day after her sentencing, Manning revealed that she was a transgender woman. Manning's time in prison had come under scrutiny and her alleged mistreatment led her to attempt suicide twice. Her incarceration was complicated by the fact that she is a transgender woman serving time at a male military penitentiary.

When her commutation was announced, Manning said that when released she wanted to give back to help the trans community. Manning is a progressive activist and writes on various issues including transparency, free speech and civil liberties.

In 2018, Manning ran for U.S. Senate in Maryland, challenging Sen. Ben Cardin, a Democrat who had served two terms and was up for re-election. She was defeated when Cardin garnered more than 80 percent of the vote in the June 2018 primary election.

During her Senate run, Manning posted troubling tweets on her Twitter account that left friends and followers concerned she would harm herself.

One tweet read, "I'm sorry - I tried - I'm sorry I let you all down. Im not really cut out for this world - I tried adapting to this world out here but I failed you - I couldn't do this anymore - I can take people I don't know hating me but not my own friends. I tried and I'm sorry about my failure," The Washington Post reported.

However, a later tweet posted to her account said Manning was "safe" and "on the phone with friends."

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