WikiLeaks suspect will be held in 'more open' military facility in Fort Leavenworth, with three hours of recreation a day

The family of Bradley Manning has welcomed news that he has been moved from a top security military prison in Quantico, Virginia, to a "more open" military facility in Kansas.

Manning, the US soldier accused of downloading and leaking classified cables to WikiLeaks, was transferred to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, early on Wednesday, his aunt, Sharon Staples, confirmed.

His transfer follows sustained protests from human rights campaigners and others over his conditions at Quantico, where he was held in solitary confinement and on suicide watch, which has required him to be stripped naked at night apart from a smock and checked on repeatedly.

The commander of the Kansas facility said Manning would now receive three hours of recreation a day, and would "have the capability to interact with other pre-trial inmates on a routine basis". Psychiatrists would assess his mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health on arrival, Lt Col Dawn Hilton said.

Joseph Westphal, undersecretary of the army, said: "The place where he will reside, it's more open. He's got more space, more ability to interact with other prisoners. He will eat with them … it is a place where if you're going to be confined for a longer period of time, you have the ability to interact. You have the ability to exercise, to move around."

Staples, who is the sister of the soldier's Welsh mother Susan Manning, said it would be a "big, big relief" if the soldier were to be held in more open conditions. "This is what we hoped, that he would be moved from there to a better place where he could mix with other inmates."

While expressing some caution until they knew more, she said: "It would be such a relief for us, especially for his mother, if his conditions were improved."

The move would make visiting the soldier more difficult for his British-based family, she said, "but he'll be closer to his father and his sister [who live in Oklahoma], so he'll get more visitors."

The Foreign Office has confirmed that although Manning does not hold a UK passport he is British by descent.

The UN special rapporteur on torture, Juan Mendez, has been investigating whether Manning's treatment to date amounted to "cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment" or torture.

But Jeh Johnson, the Pentagon's most senior lawyer, said: "Many will be tempted to interpret today's action as a criticism of the pre-trial facility at Quantico. That is not the case. We remain satisfied that Pte Manning's pre-trial confinement at Quantico was in compliance with legal and regulatory standards in all respects, and we salute the military personnel there for the job they did in difficult circumstances."

The facility at Fort Leavenworth, said Johnson, was "appropriate to meet Private Manning's health and welfare needs", given the likelihood that he will remain in custody for months before his case reaches trial. Manning has been charged with more than 20 offences in relation to the alleged leak, including "aiding the enemy", which could carry the death penalty.

David E Coombs, the soldier's lawyer, said he had learned of Manning's imminent move from a leak to a reporter. Manning's defence team have filed a writ arguing that the conditions at Quantico violated his "constitutional right to due process".

Writing on his website, Coombs said while he hoped the move to Fort Leavenworth would result in better conditions, Manning "nonetheless intends to pursue redress … for the flagrant violations of his constitutional rights by the Quantico confinement facility".

Staples said the soldier's mother, when she last visited her son in Quantico in February, had been shocked by her son's condition and worried about his health. She said she believed the move was as a result of the campaign over her nephew's conditions.