#clemencyforleonardpeltier — Public Fediverse posts

Miami State Rep asks #Biden for clemency to handful of people, including survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking

By: Mitch Perry, January 18, 2025

"With just two days left in his presidency, Miami-Dade Democratic Rep. #DotieJoseph is calling on Joe Biden to extend clemency and pardons to a handful of individuals and groups who she says represent critical cases of injustice and unfairness.

"She’s calling for clemency for #LeonardPeltier, the #NativeAmericanActivist who was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of two FBI agents in a 1975 shooting on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Peltier has been imprisoned for more than 48 years, with dozens of members of Congress urging his release. Peltier, 79, has maintained his innocence throughout his time in prison.

"She wants a presidential pardon for #MarilynMosby, state attorney for Baltimore from 2015 to 2013. Last May she was sentenced to 12 months of home confinement as part of a 36 month sentence of supervised release for making a false mortgage application and two counts of perjury.

"Joseph described Mosby in her letter as 'the courageous State Attorney whose politically motivated prosecution was pay-back for her efforts to hold accountable those responsible for the inexcusable death of #FreddyGray, who was killed while handcuffed in custody.'

"Joseph seeks a pardon for #StevenDonziger, an environmental and human rights attorney. Donziger won a $9.5 billion judgement against Chevron in an environmental lawsuit in Ecuador. He was sentenced to six months in jail in 2023 for failing to comply with a judge’s order to surrender all of his electronic devices, according to CNBC.

"Rep. Joseph is calling for a pardon for #survivors of #DomesticViolence and #HumanTrafficking who are 'incarcerated for desperate acts of #SelfDefense against their abusers, and doing so would redress the system’s failure to protect them and end their cycle of continued victimization.'

"Biden’s tenure in office ends at 11:59 am, Monday, Jan.20.

"Biden commuted the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses on Friday morning."

https://www.islandernews.com/news/miami/miami-state-rep-asks-biden-for-clemency-to-handful-of-people-including-survivors-of-domestic/article_96808a2a-d5a4-11ef-a73f-f784dd7195a7.html
#FreeLeonardPeltier #FreeStevenDonziger #AmnestyForLeonardPeltier #ClemencyForLeonardPeltier

President #Biden: Let boarding school survivor #LeonardPeltier finally return home

Leonard Peltier is the longest-incarcerated Native political prisoner in American history, and one of the oldest people currently in federal prison

by Nick Tilsen, January 18, 2025

"The people of the #PineRidgeReservation see #Peltier as our respected elder, and we have purchased and prepared a house for him on his homelands in #TurtleMountain. We are ready to welcome him home with open arms, to show him the care and support he deserved for his whole life. He deserves to live out his last days with dignity and surrounded by loved ones.

"#PresidentBiden, we implore you one last time: please have mercy. Please let Leonard Peltier come home and heal from the systems that stole his innocence as a young boy and lasted a lifetime."

https://ictnews.org/opinion/president-biden-let-boarding-school-survivor-leonard-peltier-finally-return-home
#FreeLeonardPeltier #AmnestyForLeonardPeltier #ClemencyForLeonardPeltier #BringLeonardHome #AIM #AmericanIndianMovement #NativeAmericanActivist #FBI #ACAB

Will #Biden Grant #LeonardPeltier Clemency? #Indigenous Leaders Plead, “Don’t Let Him Die in Prison”

#DemocracyNow, January 17, 2025

"After commuting the sentences of over 2,500 people imprisoned for nonviolent drug offenses, Joe Biden has set a record for most pardons and commutations by a U.S. president. But Indigenous political prisoner Leonard Peltier remains behind bars. Over 120 tribal leaders are calling on Biden to grant clemency to Peltier as one of his final acts in office, warning this may be the last opportunity Peltier has for freedom. Peltier is 80 years old and has spent the majority of his life — nearly half a century — in prison despite a conviction riddled with irregularities and prosecutorial misconduct. In December, tribal leaders, including the #NDNCollective’s Nick Tilsen, met with a pardon attorney at the Department of Justice to prepare a recommendation on Peltier’s case for Biden. With only a few days left in Biden’s term, #NativeAmericans are eagerly anticipating his decision. 'All of us see a little bit of ourselves in Leonard Peltier, and that’s why we fight so hard for him,' says Tilsen. 'This is about paving a path forward that gives us the opportunity to have justice and begin to heal the relationship between the United States government and Indian people. And so, this decision is massive.' "

Listen / watch / read transcript (available after 1pm EST): https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1/17/free_leonard_peltier_biden_clemency
#ClemencyForLeonardPeltier #AmnestyForLeonardPeltier #FreeLeonardPeltier #AmericanIndianMovement #AIM #NativeAmericanActivist #FBI #ACAB #TruthAndReconciliation

Minnesota tribal leaders call for #Biden to commute #LeonardPeltier's sentence

by Melissa Olson, January 14, 2025

"A group of over 120 elected current and former tribal leaders from across the United States are calling on President Joe Biden to grant clemency to Leonard Peltier, a longstanding political activist convicted in 1977 in the murder of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, according to a story first published Monday by HuffPost.

"Peltier is a member of the #AmericanIndianMovement, a grassroots Native American organization formed in Minneapolis in the late 1960s in response to police violence.

“'For the majority of his life, Leonard Peltier has been serving a sentence based on a conviction that would not hold up in court today and for a crime that the government has admitted it could not prove. Mr. Peltier’s continued incarceration is a symbol to Native Americans of the systemic inequities of the criminal justice system in America,' read the letter from tribal elected officials published on #NDNCollective.

"The letter was signed by over a dozen elected tribal officials in Minnesota, including president of the #LowerSioux Indian Community Robert Larsen, who verified the accuracy of the letter to MPR News, as well as Chair of #BoisForteBand of Chippewa Cathy Chavers and Chief Executive of the #MilleLacs Band of# Ojibwe Virgil Wind, who signed the letter as President of the Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes.

"Faron Jackson, chair of the #LeechLakeBand of Ojibwe, also signed the letter. Jackson spoke to MPR News while attending the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe annual state of the band address Tuesday.

"'I think it was an injustice from day one,” said Jackson. “He’s been sitting in prison for almost 50 years on a lot of circumstantial evidence that just didn’t add up to justice.'

"Peltier, a citizen of the #TurtleMountainBand of #Chippewa in North Dakota, is currently serving two life sentences at a federal prison in Florida. Peltier has maintained his innocence since he was first imprisoned."

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/01/14/minnesota-tribal-leaders-call-for-biden-to-commute-leonard-peltier-sentence
#FreeLeonardPeltier #AmnestyForLeonardPeltier #ClemencyForLeonardPeltier #AIM

#Taos #ReggaeBand #IrieBellion Releases Powerful Single Advocating #ClemencyForLeonardPeltier

By Native News Online Staff
January 07, 2025

"Six-piece reggae band IrieBellion, based in #TaosNewMexico, has released a new single to advocate for the release of #LeonardPeltier, a #NativeAmericanActivist who has been imprisoned for nearly 50 years.

"'Leonard Peltier’s Song' features Grammy-winning flutist #RobertMirabal of Taos Pueblo and a traditional drum group composed of singers from several Indigenous nations. Through this collaboration, the band hopes to amplify calls for President Joe Biden to grant clemency to Peltier.

"The song blends IrieBellion’s reggae-inspired rhythms with Robert Mirabal’s signature flute playing and the traditional Indigenous drumming and singing of #JohnSwiftbird (#Lakota), #ChaskePacheco (#Dakota / #SantaDomingoPueblo), and #BrysonSanchez (Dakota / #SanFelipePueblo).

"The song makes a direct #PleaForJustice, with Davis crafting a chorus —'Do the right thing, let freedom ring/ ​It's been so long, let's right this wrong' — that appeals to #PresidentBiden to take action and right what the band views as a longstanding wrong.

"The musical advocacy for Peltier's case has a rich history in popular music. #RobbieRobertson (Mohawk), the legendary guitarist and songwriter of The Band, created a particularly powerful statement with his song 'Sacrifice', which incorporated Peltier's own voice through a recorded prison phone call with Robertson. Little Steven (#StevenVanZandt), known for both his work with Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and his solo career, also contributed to this musical legacy with his own 'Leonard Peltier,' which, like IrieBellion's new release, used Caribbean rhythms to carry its message of justice.

"Peltier, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of #Chippewa Indians, became involved in the American Indian Movement (#AIM) in the 1970s, a time of tension between Indigneous communities and the U.S. government.

AIM advocated addressing issues such as police brutality, treaty violations, and systemic inequality affecting Native Americans.

"Peltier’s case comes from a 1975 shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, where two FBI agents and a young Native man were killed. The shootout occurred during a period of violence on the reservation, often referred to as the '#ReignOfTerror,' when residents faced threats and attacks for their ties to AIM.

"Peltier was convicted in 1977 of killing the agents, but his trial has been widely criticized. Key evidence was withheld by the prosecution, including ballistics reports that could have supported his defense.

"Eyewitness testimony used to extradite Peltier from Canada was later recanted, with the witness stating they were coerced by the FBI. Even the U.S. attorney who handled the case has since admitted that no one knows who fired the fatal shots.

"Peltier has maintained his innocence for nearly five decades, and his case has been condemned by numerous human rights organizations, including #AmnestyInternational. Calls for his release have grown in recent years, with Peltier now in his late seventies and facing health challenges.

"'Leonard Peltier’s Song' is available on streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music, and can also be found on IrieBellion’s HearNow page. The band encourages listeners to not only enjoy the song but also take action by learning about Peltier’s case, signing petitions, and contacting officials to advocate for his release.

"For those who want to learn more, organizations such as the International #LeonardPeltierDefenseCommittee provide resources and updates on efforts to secure his freedom."

https://nativenewsonline.net/arts-entertainment/taos-reggae-band-iriebellion-releases-powerful-single-advocating-clemency-for-leonard-peltier
#ACAB #FBI #AmericanindianMovement #PineRidge #FreeLeonardPeltier #AmnestyForLeonardPeltier #ClemencyForLeonardPeltier

#NuclearColonialism v. #RedPower

"The world has no shortage of #PoliticalPrisoners – or of environmental martyrs and heroes– but 80-year-old #LeonardPeltier, a #Lakota and #Anishinaabe AIM member, is arguably the most famous, the legal lynching he underwent so outrageous, and his incarceration in a 'maximum security' prison so protracted. Even former FBI agents have themselves essentially contended that Pelter was scapegoated by the FBI for the lethal shooting of two agents–Jack Coler and Ronald Williams– on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Michael Apted’s 1992 documentary Incident at Oglala, narrated by Robert Redford, is a good place to start if you’re new to this history. But if you’re looking for insights into the role that #UraniumMining played in the conflict, you’d be better off checking out #PeterMatthiessen’s book #InTheSpiritOfCrazyHorse: Leonard Peltier and the #FBI’s War on The #AmericanIndian ovement. To hear a first-hand account, check out Peltier’s memoir #PrisonWritings: My Life Is My Sun Dance.

"Despite well-documented prosecutorial misconduct powerfully depicted in Apted’s documentary, Peltier’s conviction has yet to be overturned. And in the face of decades of global, high-profile pleas for clemency for Peltier, including by James Reynolds, a “senior US attorney who was involved in [his] prosecution,” no president up until now has been willing to free Peltier. Given that he’s in increasingly poor health, time is running out, and the same president who just pardoned his own son may be Peltier’s last shot at clemency. If you haven’t yet done so, check out the Amnesty International petition– and Amy Goodman’s and Denis Moynihan’s recent column–making the case for his release. The Red Nation media collective also has an extensive playlist of podcasts focused on Peltier’s case and the long struggle to free him.

"Peltier, arguably the world’s most visible casualty of nuclear colonialism, was only three years into his sentence when Santee Dakota organizer John Trudell, his contemporary in AIM, delivered a searing 1980 speech at the Black Hills International Survival Gathering. As Zoltan Grossman has documented, 'Multinational mining companies, such as #UnionCarbide and #Exxon, proposed the development of the #BlackHills for energy resources, including #coal mines, #uranium mines, and coal slurry #pipelines.' The Black Hills gathering brought together a global convergence of more than 10,000 Indigenous activists and non-Native allies to hold the line against a repeat of the 1950s, which, per Grossman, had 'result[ed] in the extensive irradiation of the southern Black Hills community of #Edgemont.'"

Read more:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2024/12/11/tis-the-season-to-talk-climate-collapse-nuclear-colonialism-and-freeing-leonard-peltier/
#FreeLeonardPeltier #ClemencyForLeonardPeltier #ACAB #AmnestyForLeonardPeltier #SilencingDissent #NoUraniumMining

It’s time for justice: Why #LeonardPeltier must be granted clemency

by Donald ‘C-Note’ Hooker, December 11, 2024

"Leonard Peltier’s story is one of profound injustice. Born in 1944 on the #TurtleMountainChippewa Reservation in North Dakota, Peltier grew up amid systemic neglect, poverty and the long shadow of federal policies designed to undermine Native sovereignty. By the 1970s, he had become a leading figure in the American Indian Movement (AIM), which fought to address the systemic injustices faced by Indigenous communities. This activism, however, placed him directly in the crosshairs of government surveillance and repression.

"On June 26, 1975, a shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota left two FBI agents, Ronald Williams and Jack Coler, dead. The incident occurred against the backdrop of extreme violence and federal overreach on the reservation. Peltier, along with Robert Robideau and Darrelle Butler, was charged with the agents’ deaths. While Robideau and Butler were acquitted on grounds of self-defense, Peltier fled to Canada, where he was later extradited under false pretenses based on coerced testimony.

"Peltier’s trial in 1977 was marred by prosecutorial misconduct, including the suppression of key ballistics evidence that could have exonerated him. Testimony from Myrtle Poor Bear, a witness who later admitted she had been coerced by the FBI, was used to secure his extradition and conviction. Despite these glaring issues, Peltier was sentenced to two consecutive life terms. His imprisonment has since been widely condemned by #HumanRights organizations, including #AmnestyInternational, as well as legal experts and former law enforcement officials.

"Crucially, neither the judicial nor legislative branches sentenced Leonard Peltier to death or life without parole. Yet, through repeated parole denials, he has effectively been condemned to die in prison. This abuse of the parole system undermines the fundamental principles of justice and due process, particularly when significant flaws in his trial have been acknowledged by figures like Judge Gerald Heaney, who presided over Peltier’s appeal.

"Leonard Peltier’s continued imprisonment is not just about one man – it is a reflection of a justice system that fails to protect marginalized communities from systemic abuses. His case is a glaring example of how unchecked power and political motivations can devastate lives and perpetuate injustice."

https://sfbayview.com/2024/12/its-time-for-justice-why-leonard-peltier-must-be-granted-clemency/

#FreeLeonardPeltier #ClemencyForLeonardPeltier #AmnestyForLeonardPeltier #AIM #USPol #FBI #ACAB #USJusticeSystem #Clemency #PresidentBiden #FalseTestimony #AmericanIndianMovement #PineRidge #MyrtlePoorBear #FBICoercement #AnnaMaeAquash

#LeonardPeltier: ‘This is what mercy is for’

by Pauly Denetclaw
Thu, December 5, 2024

"Hawai’i Sen. #BrianSchatz chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, made a plea to President Joe Biden on behalf of Leonard Peltier on Dec. 4. In a less than four-minute speech on the Senate floor, he asked that Biden grant clemency to Peltier.

"Biden on Sunday evening pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, for 'offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024, including but not limited to all offenses charged or prosecuted (including any that have resulted in convictions) by Special Counsel David C. Weiss,' according to a statement by Biden.

"Schatz noted the alleged violation of Peltier’s constitutional rights to a fair trial during the 1977 murder trial of two FBI agents.

"'The process that led to his conviction had major issues and inaccuracies from the start,' Schatz said. 'For example, one witness whose statements were used at trial said she was told to lie and say that she was in a relationship with Peltier and that she had witnessed him shoot the agents. She later recanted that statement, saying, ‘I was forced into this, and I feel very awful. I just wish that Leonard Peltier would get out of prison.’”

"He also talked about one of the jurors in the case who allegedly admitted to being racist toward Native Americans, but was still allowed to remain on the jury that would convict Peltier of two first-degree murder charges.

"Peltier would be sentenced to two life sentences. He has maintained his innocence.

"In July, the Assembly of First Nations, representing over 600 Indigenous leaders in Canada, rescinded their nearly 40 year support of Peltier because of his alleged role in the murder of Anna Mae Pictou Aquash, Mik’maq, by American Indian Movement members. Peltier denies he had any involvement. [See my posts about #AnnaMaePictouAquash]

"#AmnestyInternational, United Nations’ Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, three tribal nations, National Congress of American Indians, #NDNCollective and the Native American Rights Fund have all urged Biden to grant Peltier clemency.

“'According to reporting, a juror who on day two of the trial professed her prejudice against Native Americans, was allowed to remain on the panel,' Schatz said. 'If that wasn't enough, take it from the very U.S. attorney who tried the case. The prosecutor who tried the case, James Reynolds, who said (in a letter that) Peltier had served his sentence on ‘the basis of minimal evidence, a result that I strongly doubt would be upheld in any court today.'

"Schatz read excerpts from a 2021 letter that James Reynolds sent to Biden to ask for Peltier’s clemency.

"Peltier’s health has been declining over the last few years. He has repeatedly been denied commuted sentencing, parole, pardon, clemency, and compassionate release.

"'Peltier is now 80 years old and has been in prison for 50 years, he is in declining health, experiencing vision loss and other illnesses. In spite of all that, earlier this year, federal officials denied his request for compassionate release and parole,' Schatz said. 'So even if you believe that he did in fact commit the crime, surely the time is now to let him spend whatever remaining days he has at home to die with his family. He's done his time. He's of old age and in poor health. This is what clemency is for. This is what mercy is for. He poses little threat to society.'

"Biden’s last day in office is January 20, 2025. In his last administration, President-elect Donald Trump took no action on Peltier’s request for clemency. On his last full day in office, former President Barack Obama denied clemency for Peltier."

https://news.yahoo.com/news/leonard-peltier-mercy-165336810.html

#FreeLeonardPeltier #AmnestyForLeonardPeltier #ClemencyForLeonardPeltier #AIM #FBI #ACAB