UN anti-torture official denounces treatment of Julian Assange
Nils Melzer, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture said yesterday that the US government was guilty of torture over the detentions of Wikileaks cofounder Julian Assange and Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning. Assange is being held without charge in the maximum-security Belmarsh Prison outside of London, and Manning is being held without charge in a prison in Virginia, solely because she is refusing to testify against Assange before a grand jury. Melzer said, “The practice of coercive detention appears to be incompatible with the international human rights obligations of the United States.” Brian and John speak with independent journalist Diani Baretto.