Chelsea Manning sent back to prison after refusing to testify again before a grand jury



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During a lawsuit Thursday in Alexandria, Virginia, Manning was placed in pre-trial detention by the US Marshals Service and will be detained again. The judge also ruled that she would be fined $ 500 a day after 30 days and $ 1,000 a day after 60 days.

Manning was slapped with the second summons to appear in jail to appear before the grand jury Thursday "but for (the) same issues", according to a tweet posted on Manning's Twitter account last week.

US prosecutor Thomas Traxler said Thursday that "Manning holds the keys to the prison door," said judge Anthony Trenga that she "would rather starve" than to testify.

"I would rather starve than change my mind about it," Manning told Trenga, reiterating his opposition to the secretive process of the grand jury process.

Trenga responded, "There is nothing dishonorable in fulfilling your obligation as an American citizen," before deciding on the specific sanctions that the court would put in place.

US Attorney Zachary Terwilliger, the highest federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of Virginia, told reporters Thursday that his team had "gone out of their way to accommodate Mr.'s medical needs and schedule." Manning.

"We've never said that before that to get an immunized testimony as part of an investigation," he said, adding that "all we want, it's all about it." is that it honestly answers the questions that our constitutional republic demands of our citizens ".

Asked about his interest in Manning, since Assange has already been indicted, Terwilliger said he was "not free to discuss investigations or cases brought before the grand jury" .

"We have a legitimate reason to ask for his testimony and we will continue to do so," he added.

Following the release of Manning, her lawyers appeared to expect her to be found in contempt a second time, when she was considering refusing to testify.

It is "conceivable that she will be sentenced again for contempt of court and will be placed under the custody of the Alexandria Detention Center again, probably as early as next Thursday, May 16," said the spokesman. Manning's team in his release. "Chelsea will continue to refuse to answer questions."

Manning had officially asked the court to release her earlier this month, saying "nothing will convince me to testify," according to documents filed in the East Virginia District Court. A federal court of appeal rejected his argument for his release – claiming that his proceedings had been violated during the summons proceedings and that federal prosecutors allegedly tried to trap him – in April .

Manning officials had previously stated that she was being held in her cell for 22 hours a day, claiming that such detention in solitary confinement threatened her health and constituted "torture."

This story has been updated.

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