Chelsea Manning, a transgender rights activist who served seven years in prison for leaking classified documents, won’t be allowed to enter Australia for her speaking tour, her event organizer said.
Manning was scheduled to speak at the Sydney Opera House this weekend, with other appearances in Melbourne, Brisbane, and New Zealand next week.
Event organizer, Think Inc., said it was notified Wednesday that Australia intended to deny Manning entry.
“Think Inc. were disappointed to learn that the Department of Home Affairs intend to refuse Ms. Manning’s visa,” the group said in a statement. “We have been vigorously advocating for permission for Ms. Manning to enter Australia. We are of the view that she poses no threat to members of the Australian community.”
Think Inc. Director Suzi Jamil said the group could take legal action over Manning’s denial.
In September 2017, Manning said she had been denied entry into Canada because of her criminal record.
Manning was an intelligence analyst for the U.S. Army when she leaked military documents to WikiLeaks. She served seven years of her 35-year prison sentence before she was granted clemency by then-President Barack Obama in 2017.
