Bradley Manning Nobel Peace Prize nod backed by 100k petition-signers

The Nobel Prize committee has received a petition that endorses awarding the peace prize to US Army Private Bradley Manning, who is convicted of espionage and facing up to 90 years behind bars for leaking classified information to WikiLeaks.

US anti-war activist Normon Soloman, one of the organizers of the petition, gave the 5,000-page document to Nobel committee member Asle Toje on Monday.

However, Toje said the annually awarded US$1 million prize is "not a popularity contest," adding that such campaigns do not influence the Nobel Committee in its choice.

“Remaining in prison and facing relentless prosecution by the US government, no one is more in need of the Nobel Peace Prize,” states the petition, which garnered more than 100,000 signatures.

[link to rt.com]