Bradley Manning Stripped, Left Naked for 7 Hours

(Newser) – The jailed soldier accused of leaking secret documents to WikiLeaks was forced to strip and was held naked for seven hours on Wednesday, his lawyer said on his website. Bradley Manning got his clothes back yesterday morning, after he was made to stand outside his cell during an inspection, the lawyer added. “This type of degrading treatment is inexcusable and without justification,” the post said. “No other detainee at the brig is forced to endure this type of isolation and humiliation.”

A brig official ordered the stripping, but it was “not punitive,” a Marine spokesman told the New York Times. “I can confirm that it did happen, but I can’t explain it to you without violating the detainee’s privacy.” A friend of the soldier who had visited him last weekend told reporters yesterday that Manning’s mental health was worsening, but that he was not suicidal. Amid complaints about Manning’s confinement conditions, a Pentagon spokesman cited “the seriousness of the charges he’s facing” and “the national security implications,” as well as Manning’s own protection. Click to read about the charges Manning faces.