Chelsea Manning Suicide: Jailed U.S. Army Officer Assures Supporters That She Is Okay [VIDEO]
Following a suicide attempt, transgender U.S. Army officer Chelsea Manning has assured her supporters that she is doing well. Her attempt at taking her own life was made public last week by the U.S. Army, much to the chagrin of Manning's lawyers.
"I am okay. I'm glad to be alive. Thank you all for your love. I will get through this," she announced.
Thousands of Manning's supporters have voiced their relief online, with many giving words of encouragement and assuring the jailed soldier that the fight for her freedom is still going on.
Manning's attorneys, on the other hand, have been on the offensive since the news of her attempted suicide was made public by the U.S. Army. According to her lawyers, the actions of the Army have been a "gross breach of confidentiality."
"She would have preferred to keep her private medical information private, and instead focus on her recovery. The government's gross breach of confidentiality in disclosing her personal health information to the media has created the very real concern that they may continue their unauthorized release of information about her publicly without warning," Manning's lawyers stated.
What infuriated Manning's lawyers even more was the fact that prior to the public announcement, the U.S. Army also allegedly kept her family and legal counsel in the dark about her condition. Despite this breach of conduct, however, Manning's lawyers have stated that what really matters is that the jailed U.S. Army officer is now safe.
"She is someone who has fought so hard for so many issues we care about and we are honored to fight for her freedom and medical care," Manning's lawyers said.
The 28-year-old Manning was convicted back in 2013 for six acts of espionage and 14 other related offenses. Apart from these, Manning was also accused of leaking more than 700,000 classified military documents to controversial website WikiLeaks. Sentenced for 35 years, many argued that Manning's punishment for her crime was far too harsh.
Convicted as Bradley Manning, Chelsea asked to be officially recognized as a woman in 2013. In 2015, the U.S. Army allowed her to undergo hormone therapy.
