Whistleblower Chelsea Manning Plans To Challenge Denial Of Entry To Canada
Former U.S. soldier Chelsea Manning, who became a whistleblower after handing over classified information to WikiLeaks, was denied entry to Canada because of her criminal record in the United States.
Chelsea Manning was born Bradley Manning, and served as an intelligence analyst part of an army unit in Iraq. Back in 2013, Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison after leaking more than 700,000 documents, videos, and files to WikiLeaks, in what was deemed to be the largest leak of classified information in U.S. history. The files Manning handed over to WikiLeaks revealed sensitive details of warfare in both Iraq and Afghanistan. One of those videos showed a U.S. military airstrike that killed 12 people, including two Reuters employees.
Manning served seven years of her sentence in military prison, but was released on May 17, 2017, after former president Barack Obama commuted her sentence during his final days in office. To celebrate her freedom, Manning planned to travel and Canada was on the list, but she was not allowed to enter the country.
The 29-year-old transgender woman attempted to enter Canada at the Lacolle, Quebec border, but Canadian guards denied her entry and detained her overnight. Manning took to Twitter to reveal a Canadian government report that noted that her prior convictions ban her from entering the country.
so, i guess canada has permanently banned me ? ????? @CitImmCanada denied entry b/c of convictions similar to "treason" offense ??? pic.twitter.com/xp0JOEEOGd
— Chelsea E. Manning (@xychelsea) September 25, 2017
Manning told officials at the Canadian border that her conviction was in 2013 over charges associated with the U.S. Espionage Act, but she had been released this year in May.
The letter, however, highlights that Manning is “inadmissible on grounds of serious criminality” and, had she convicted the offense in Canada, it would have been punishable by at least 10 years in prison. The letter further notes that Manning’s offense is similar to treason.
“If committed in Canada this offence would equate to an indictable offence, namely Treason described under section 46(2)(B) of the Criminal Code of Canada, punishable under section 47(2)(C) of the Criminal Code of Canada, for which a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment may be imposed.”
Manning says she does not agree with the comparison that Canadian officials made and she plans to challenge the denial of entry at an “admissibility hearing,” albeit no date is set at this point.
As the Guardian reports, Manning’s support team were baffled that Canadian authorities likened her prosecution under the Espionage Act in the United States to treason under the Criminal Code of Canada. Furthermore, her supporters highlight that the U.S. Espionage Act leaves no room for whistleblowers to prove that the information they revealed was of public interest.
Manning has several engagements to speak abroad, but it remains unclear at this point whether she would face similar hurdles upon attempting to enter other countries.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not answer any questions regarding this matter, but said he wants to hear more about this case. Canada’s Ministry of Immigration, meanwhile, said privacy laws prevent commenting on the matter.
[Featured Image by Steven Senne/AP Images]
