In response to the news that the Australian government is considering denying American activist Chelsea Manning a visa to enter Australia for a series of public talks, Claire Mallinson, National Director of Amnesty International Australia said: 
 
 “Amnesty International is very concerned that the Australian government is seeking to silence American activist Chelsea Manning by intending to deny her a visa into Australia. 
 
 “By refusing her entry, the Australian government would send a chilling message that freedom of speech is not valued by our government. It is not too late for the Government to change their mind. 
 
 “Chelsea Manning is travelling to Australia for a series of talks which will include discussion of the potential human rights violations she exposed as a whistle-blower and her human rights activism since she got out of prison, including as an outspoken LGBTQI rights advocate. 
 
 “Denying her entry based on a past criminal conviction would be a restriction on her right to freedom of expression and would hamper her legitimate human rights work. Chelsea Manning should not continue to face penalties after the time she served in jail and the commutation of her sentence by presidential order. 
 
 “There is great interest in what Ms Manning has to say, evidenced by the fact her upcoming public appearances in Australia are selling quickly. This decision must be reversed and Chelsea Manning must be allowed to continue with her speaking tour so Australians have an opportunity to engage in discussion of human rights issues.” 
 
 Amnesty International has written to the Department of Home Affairs strongly urging the Government to allow Ms Manning to be granted a visa to enter Australia and be free to tell her story to Australian citizens who wish to hear it. 
 
 Background 
 
 Chelsea Manning was sentenced in the USA to 35 years in prison in a trial marred by due process shortcomings after releasing information that pointed to potential human rights violations and crimes under international law by US forces. Her sentence was commuted by President Obama in January 2017. 
 
 Chelsea Manning served 7 years in prison, three of those years were in pre-trial detention, 11 months in conditions which the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture described as cruel and inhumane. ||||| FILE - In this April 18, 2018, file photo, Chelsea Manning addresses participants at an anti-fracking rally in Baltimore. Convicted classified document leaker Chelsea Manning will not be allowed to enter... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this April 18, 2018, file photo, Chelsea Manning addresses participants at an anti-fracking rally in Baltimore. Convicted classified document leaker Chelsea Manning will not be allowed to enter Australia for a speaking tour scheduled to start Sunday, Sept. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky,... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this April 18, 2018, file photo, Chelsea Manning addresses participants at an anti-fracking rally in Baltimore. Convicted classified document leaker Chelsea Manning will not be allowed to enter Australia for a speaking tour scheduled to start Sunday, Sept. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky,... (Associated Press) FILE - In this April 18, 2018, file photo, Chelsea Manning addresses participants at an anti-fracking rally in Baltimore. Convicted classified document leaker Chelsea Manning will not be allowed to enter... (Associated Press) 
 
 CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Convicted classified document leaker Chelsea Manning will not be allowed to enter Australia for a speaking tour scheduled to start Sunday, her event organizer said on Thursday. 
 
 Think Inc. said it had received on Wednesday a notice of intention from the government to deny Manning entry. The group is calling on her supporters to lobby new Immigration Minister David Coleman to allow her into Australia. While she can appeal, past precedent suggests the decision has already been made. 
 
 Think Inc. said it had given the government more than 10 letters of support from individuals and organizations who support Manning's entry to Australia. 
 
 "Ms. Manning offers formidable ideas and an insightful perspective which we are hoping to bring to the forefront of Australian dialogue," Think Inc. Director Suzi Jamil said in a statement. 
 
 Manning was an intelligence analyst for the U.S. Army when she leaked military and diplomatic documents to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. She served seven years of a 35-year sentence before then-President Barack Obama granted her clemency in 2017. 
 
 The transgender activist who recently lost a long-shot bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Maryland is scheduled to speak at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday and has subsequent events in Australia and New Zealand. 
 
 The Department of Home Affairs said while it does not comment on individual cases, all non-citizens entering Australia must meet character requirements set out in the Migration Act. The reasons a person might fail the character test include a criminal record or a determination they might a risk to the community, according to the department. 
 
 Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the decision was for Coleman, who was sworn in as immigration minister on Tuesday. 
 
 A foreign affairs spokeswoman for the opposition Labor party, Penny Wong, said the government should be transparent about the reason if Manning is denied entry. 
 
 Amnesty International accused the government of trying to silence Manning. "By refusing her entry, the Australian government would send a chilling message that freedom of speech is not valued by our government," Amnesty International national director Claire Mallinson said in a statement. 
 
 Lawyer Greg Barns, who has represented Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, said people with criminal records have been allowed into Australia in the past. He said no one would seriously suggest Manning was a risk to the Australian community. 
 
 Immigration in New Zealand expects to make a decision by Friday on whether to grant her a "special direction" visa. She doesn't qualify for entry otherwise because she has a criminal conviction within the last 10 years for which she had a sentence exceeding 1 year, according to the country's visa rules. 
 
 New Zealand's center-right National Party opposition is urging the government to decline her visa request. If the decision goes against Manning, she can have it reviewed by the immigration minister. 
 
 She is due to speak in the Australian city of Melbourne on Sept. 7, the New Zealand city of Auckland on Sept. 8, the New Zealand capital Wellington on Sept. 9 and the Australian city of Brisbane on Sept. 11.
– Chelsea Manning won't be permitted to enter Australia for a speaking tour scheduled to kick off at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday after that country's Department of Home Affairs deemed the American classified document leaker failed to meet character requirements. While the Australian government won't address Manning's case specifically, per the AP, a person having a criminal record could cause them to fail the character test. Manning, a former US Army intelligence officer, was convicted of leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks and served seven years in prison. Manning also has speaking dates scheduled in New Zealand. That country's government is still considering whether to grant her a "special direction" visa, which she would need due to her conviction. In a statement, Amnesty International says Australia's decision sends a "chilling message that freedom of speech is not valued."