Army soldier Bradley Manning attempted suicide today in prison where he’s serving a 35-year sentence for espionage.
According to published reports, Manning attempted to hang himself in his prison cell.
Manning, 28, was convicted of violating the Espionage Act for leaking secrets to WikiLeaks in 2013.
He was diagnosed with gender dysphoria while incarcerated at U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth in 2014.
He began referring to himself as Chelsea Elizabeth Manning.
“As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me,” he said at the time.
Manning was taken to a hospital early Tuesday after he was found hanging. There is no word on his condition.
Manning’s lawyers complained bitterly that Army officials kept them in the dark about Manning’s condition.
The lawyers were told the earliest the Army will brief them on Manning’s status is Friday.
The legal team was also angered that an official leaked the suicide attempt to the press.
Critics were concerned that taxpayers would foot the bill for Manning’s sex reassignment surgery after the military approved his hormone therapy in 2014. But he was held in a male lockup and ordered to wear his hair short per regulations.
He sued the government after the rules wee changed to require a doctor’s approval for sex change surgery.
His case is pending before a federal court in Washington DC.
