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Help Imprisoned Drone Whistleblower Daniel Hale

On April 28th, heroic drone whistleblower Daniel Hale, who had been free while awaiting sentencing, was arrested, jailed and placed in solitary confinement at the same prison where whistleblower Chelsea Manning attempted suicide. This happened after a psychiatrist deemed that he might be of potential harm to himself. He is now in a 15-day COVID-related solitary confinement where he is only allowed out of his cell three days a week for 45 minutes.  

Take Action:

(See background notes below for talking points.)

  1. Ask the Department of Justice to release him until his July 27th sentencing date.
  2. Ask President Biden to pardon Daniel Hale. 
  3. Ask his sentencing judge to not give him jail time. Instructions here. 
  4. Write to the U.S. Marshals Service to seek answers on Daniel’s treatment in detention. Ask for assurances that Daniel can access  books, music, exercise space, fresh air and counseling. Contacts at the US Marshals Service:
    1. Lamont J. Ruffin, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal at [email protected]
    2. Rachel Gibson, D/DC Public Affairs Officer/Supervisory Deputy at [email protected]
  5. Write Daniel a letter of support.
  6. Help us pack the court for his sentencing hearing, which will take place at 10am on July 13 in the Alexandria Federal District Court, VA, 10th floor. If you are interested in attending, please contact Medea Benjamin. 

Background

Former military intelligence analyst Daniel Hale pled guilty on March 31, 2021, to one charge of violating the Espionage Act after providing a journalist with classified information on the high civilian death toll resulting from US drone strikes. 

Without Daniel, we would not have  ironclad evidence that the US drone program has killed so many civilians--according to Daniel, 90 percent of those killed in drone strikes during a 5-month period were not the intended targets. We also have proof of deliberate strikes on first responders, e.g. ambulance crews, as well as the targeting of individuals whose “patterns“ supposedly resemble terrorists.

These drone strikes are not only immoral and illegal extrajudicial assassinations, but also a key reason why people join and support anti-US groups; drone strikes fuel terrorism and are counter-productive.

Daniel Hale, who suffers from post traumatic stress disorder due to his time in Afghanistan while serving in the military., is being held in solitary confinement at the same prison, Alexandria Detention Center (VA), where whistleblower Chelsea Manning attempted suicide. Hale’s pretrial incarceration amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.

Daniel is being represented by public defenders and whistleblower attorney Jesselyn Radack of whisper.exposefacts.org. For for additional information and updates, go to standwithdanielhale.org