Lawyers: Chelsea Manning attempts suicide in Virginia jail

WASHINGTON - Chelsea Manning's legal team said Wednesday that the former intelligence analyst tried to take her own life Wednesday, but was transported to a hospital where she is recovering.

Manning has been in jail since May 2019 for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. She was scheduled to appear in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, on Friday for a hearing on a motion to terminate the civil contempt sanctions stemming from that refusal.

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Former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning addresses reporters before entering the Albert Bryan U.S federal courthouse May 16, 2019 in Alexandria, Virginia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

In the motion filed last month, Manning's lawyers argued that Manning has shown during her incarceration that she can't be coerced into testifying before a grand jury.

Manning served seven years in a military prison for leaking a trove of documents to WikiLeaks before President Barack Obama commuted the remainder of her 35-year sentence in 2017.

Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne said Wednesday: “There was an incident at approximately 12:11 p.m. today at the Alexandria Adult Detention Center involving inmate Chelsea Manning. It was handled appropriately by our professional staff and Ms. Manning is safe.”

Andy Stepanian, a spokesman for Manning's legal team, said in a statement Wednesday that Manning “remains unwavering in her refusal to participate in a secret grand jury process that she sees as highly susceptible to abuse.”

An earlier version of this story said Andy Stepanian is a lawyer for Chelsea Manning. Stepanian is a spokesman for Manning's legal team.