US: Manning ‘glad to be alive’ after suicide attempt

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) – Chelsea Manning, who is imprisoned for leaking classified documents, is “glad to be alive” after surviving a suicide attempt last week.

The former U.S. Army intelligence analyst wrote the message on Twitter Monday evening, thanking supporters and adding, “I will get through this.”

While she lacks Internet access at the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, she reportedly said last year that she is able to dictate tweets to someone who later posts them.

Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison as Bradley Manning in 2013 for leaking secret documents to the WikiLeaks whistle-blowing website.

The 28-year-old transgender soldier was taken to the hospital July 5 following the suicide attempt.

Her legal team said in a statement posted Monday that it was not able to speak with Manning for more than a week but was “relieved” to do so Monday morning.

“Hearing Chelsea’s voice after learning that she had attempted to take her life last week was incredibly emotional,” attorneys Chase Strangio, Vincent Ward and Nancy Hollander, said. “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.”

They accused the military of a "gross breach of confidentiality" for revealing her "personal health information to the media".

Manning’s attorneys formally appealed her conviction in May.