Chelsea Manning says she was denied entry to Canada

[September 26, 2017]  By Anna Mehler Paperny and Alastair Sharp

TORONTO (Reuters) - Chelsea Manning was turned back at the Canadian-U.S. border because she was convicted of espionage for passing information to Wikileaks, the former U.S. intelligence analyst said on Monday.

Manning told Reuters via direct message on Twitter that she drove up to the Canadian border in Lacolle, Quebec, on Thursday evening, planning to vacation in Montreal and Vancouver.

She said she was stopped at the border and detained overnight before being handed a report stating she was inadmissible "on grounds of serious criminality," according to a picture of the report she posted online.

The offenses Manning was convicted of under the U.S. Espionage Act "would equate to an indictable offence, namely Treason" if committed in Canada, the report reads.

Manning said she was getting a Canadian lawyer and planned to challenge the finding of inadmissibility before a Canadian tribunal.

A spokesman for Immigration and Refugee Minister Ahmed Hussen would not comment on the case, citing privacy concerns.

Chelsea Manning, the transgender U.S. Army soldier responsible for a massive leak of classified material, poses in a photo of herself for the first time since she was released from prison and post to social media on May 18, 2017. Chelsea Manning/CC BY-SA/Handout via REUTERS

"Each case is unique and assessed on its own merits," Hursh Jaswal wrote in an email. "Our government is committed to ensuring that every case put forward ... is evaluated based on its merits and in a fair manner. All applicants can expect impartial, professional treatment and clear, accountable decision-making."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined to comment on Monday.

"I look forward to seeing more details about this," he told reporters.

(Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny and Alastair Sharp; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

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