US soldier: I was locked up and had to sleep naked

A US army private charged in the biggest security breach in US history is trying to avoid trial by claiming he had been punished enough when he was locked up alone in a small cell and forced to sleep naked for several nights.

A pre-trial hearing began yesterday in the case of Pte Bradley Manning, 24, charged with spilling US secrets to the website Wikileaks. His lawyers contend he was illegally punished.

Judges can dismiss all charges if pre-trial punishment is particularly egregious, but the usual remedy is credit at sentencing for time served.