Fort Meade (US):
A US judge ordered prosecutors to hand over hundreds of emails by officers overseeing the detention of WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning, who has alleged he suffered mistreatment at a Marine Corps brig.
Lawyers for Mr Manning, a US Army private accused of passing a trove of secret government documents to the WikiLeaks website, had asked for the emails to bolster their argument that the soldier suffered illegal treatment when he was held at the Quantico Marine base in Virginia starting in 2010.
At a pre-trial hearing on Wednesday at Fort Meade, Maryland, Judge Denise Lind said more than 600 emails withheld by prosecutors should be handed over to the defense, though she did not explain the reason behind her decision.
The emails discuss the military's plans to respond to queries from reporters about Mr Manning's detention, preparing for protests, changes to Manning's list of visitors and other details, according to the judge.
Wednesday's decision means the defence will have access to a total of about 1,300 emails, including those the judge ordered released. Judge Lind said that only 12 of about 600-700 emails did not have to be handed over.
The defence had argued the emails were potentially pertinent for their motion contending Manning was subjected to unlawful pre-trial punishment, but prosecutors had said the emails were irrelevant.
The ruling, read out by the judge during the hearing, marked the latest tug-of-war between prosecutors and defense lawyers over the release of official correspondence, reports, or other information related to Manning's case.
The judge has previously pushed military prosecutors to hand over other documents in the case, saying they had to ensure Manning's lawyers had access to information that could help with their client's defence.
Mr Manning, who attended yesterday's hearing wearing a blue dress uniform, is scheduled to go on trial on February 4 over an array of charges, including that he "aided the enemy" by handing classified military and State Department documents to WikiLeaks.
He faces a possible life sentence if convicted. Manning's treatment at Quantico sparked protests from his supporters, as well as human rights groups.