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Thursday, Nov 15, 2012 9:10 PM UTC

Nobel Peace Laureates condemn prosecution of Bradley Manning

Desmond Tutu, Mairead Maguire, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel support the soldier, nominated for a Peace Prize himself

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Topics: Nobel Peace Prize, WikiLeaks, Bradley Manning, Whistleblowing, Desmond Tutu,

Nobel Peace Laureates condemn prosecution of Bradley Manning Pfc. Manning (Credit: Wikimedia)

Nobel Peace laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Nobel Peace Prize, 1984), Mairead Maguire (Nobel Peace Prize, 1977) and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel (Nobel Peace Prize, 1980) have published a letter in support of Pfc. Bradley Manning in The Nation, following news that the soldier is willing to take responsibility for leaking information to WikiLeaks. The Peace Prize winners wrote against the government’s treatment of the soldier, who has been in prison for over 900 days.

“As people who have worked for decades against the increased militarization of societies and for international cooperation to end war, we have been deeply dismayed by the treatment of Pfc. Bradley Manning,” the letter noted, adding, “Responsible governance requires fully informed citizens who can question their leadership.  For those citizens worldwide who do not have direct, intimate knowledge of war, yet are still affected by rising international tensions and failing economies, WikiLeaks releases attributed to Bradley Manning have provided unparalleled access to important facts.”

Manning was nominated for the 2012 peace prize (which was controversially awarded to the European Union). And while some honorees decry Manning’s treatment by the U.S. government, not all Nobel Peace laureates agree — after all, President Obama was awarded the honor in 2009.

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Natasha Lennard is an assistant news editor at Salon, covering non-electoral politics, general news and rabble-rousing. Follow her on Twitter @natashalennard, email nlennard@salon.com. More Natasha Lennard.

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