US whistleblower Chelsea Manning was said to be recovering in hospital today after attempting suicide at the Virginia detention centre where she has been held since last May.

The former US military intelligence analyst was remanded there after refusing to testify to an inquiry into WikiLeaks’ activities, saying she had already given evidence in her 2013 trial for leaking classified information.

Andy Stepanian, a spokesman for her legal team, said she continued to refuse to “participate in a secret grand jury process that she sees as highly susceptible to abuse.

“Her actions today evidence the strength of her convictions, as well as the profound harm she continues to suffer as a result of her ‘civil’ confinement,” he said.

US authorities have been investigating WikiLeaks for a number of years.

Washington is seeking to extradite founder Julian Assange and put him on trial under the draconian Espionage Act after he published details of US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He faces a potential 175-year jail sentence if convicted.