After her supporters and legal team were unable to reach her for six days, Chelsea Manning has been located alive. Her attorney Nancy Hollander says she was being kept in solitary confinement, apparently for an unspecified disciplinary infraction.
Hollander said on Twitter Tuesday that Manning, the former military intelligence analyst imprisoned at Fort Leavenworth for leaking classified information to Wikileaks, is “OK” and that her legal team is monitoring the situation:
Earlier in the day, supporters had been tweeting under the hashtag #whereisChelsea, and REM’s Michael Stipe made a video demanding the military barracks at Fort Leavenworth, where she’s imprisoned, disclose where she is.
Manning is serving a 35-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth for espionage. She is eligible for parole in her eighth year. Manning attempted suicide this summer and was sentenced to two weeks’ solitary confinement as punishment in September, with one week suspended.
Update, 5:50 p.m.:
Nancy Hollander released a statement to the media, which says Manning was in solitary until this afternoon:
We have spoken with Chelsea. She had been serving her 7 days in disciplinary segregation until this afternoon. During that time she was unable to communicate with friends, family and supporters. She is doing ok and is thankful for all of the love and support. Her attorneys have been and will continue to monitor her situation.
Update, October 12:
Manning’s support team explains that she was in solitary confinement as punishment for the suicide attempt.
She had been awaiting written confirmation of the charges so she could begin the appeal process, and believed she would have at least 15 days to appeal.
Instead, she told a member of the support team, “I received written notification of the findings on Tuesday afternoon, and was then placed in solitary less than 15 minutes later.”