A military court judge ruled today that the detainment of accused WikiLeaks source Bradley Manning was “more rigorous than necessary,” and although it “became excessive in relation to legitimate government interests,” she granted him 112 days off any future sentence. While awaiting trial on 22 charges, including aiding the enemy, Manning spent 23 hours in solitary confinement for nearly a year, and was routinely stripped, searched, and made to sleep naked because, according to officials, he was a threat to himself or others. If convicted, Manning could face life in prison, in which case 112 days for what the U.N. torture chief called “cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment” hardly matters as anything more than a symbolic victory.
