Leonard Peltier is an Anishinaabe-Lakota Native American and a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), which fights for the rights of Native Americans. On June 26, 1975, there was a violent clash on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation in South Dakota, where two FBI agents, Ronald Williams and Jack Coler, were killed, along with AIM member Joseph Stuntz. Leonard Peltier was convicted in 1977 for their murders and sentenced to two life terms in prison. He has always claimed he is innocent.
One main witness against Peltier was Myrtle Poor Bear, a Lakota woman who said she saw him shoot the FBI agents. This testimony led to Peltier being extradited from Canada, where he had gone after the incident. However, Myrtle Poor Bear later changed her story and said that she had been pressured by FBI agents to testify against Peltier. The trial judge did not allow Peltier’s lawyers to call her as a defense witness, stating it could harm the government’s case. In 2000, Myrtle Poor Bear publicly stated that her original testimony was given under pressure.
In 1980, some documents were released to Peltier’s lawyers due to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. These documents contained important ballistics evidence that could have helped Peltier, but the prosecution did not share this information during the trial. Later, in 1986, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit refused to give Peltier a new trial, acknowledging some wrongdoing by FBI agents but not willing to assume that more issues existed.
The U.S. Parole Commission has consistently denied Leonard Peltier parole, claiming he has not accepted responsibility for the murders, despite the fact that the prosecution admitted there was no direct evidence linking him to the killings. James H. Reynolds, the U.S. Attorney involved in Peltier’s case, even supported clemency, stating it was in the interest of justice.
Leonard Peltier’s health is a serious concern. He suffers from kidney disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart issues, and degenerative joint disease. A stroke in 1986 left him nearly blind in one eye. In January 2016, he was diagnosed with a dangerous abdominal aortic aneurysm, which could burst at any time and lead to his death. He uses a walker to move around and contracted COVID-19 in 2022, putting him at risk of reinfection while in prison.
Many organisations and leaders, including the National Congress of American Indians and the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, have called for Leonard Peltier’s release. Notable figures, including several Nobel Peace Prize winners, have also backed calls for his freedom. Peltier’s attorney applied for clemency from President Biden in July 2021. Although Biden has promised to consider clemency cases, Peltier’s requests have been denied repeatedly, including a recent parole appeal on July 2, 2024.
Given the many problems with his trial, the lack of evidence against him, the long time he has spent in prison, and his serious health issues, Leonard Peltier deserves clemency.
We RIGHTSDEFENDERS urge U.S. authorities to reassess his case, considering the unfairness of his trial and his deteriorating health. It is time to release Leonard Peltier on humanitarian grounds and grant him presidential parole.
References
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leonard-Peltier
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/02/leonard-peltier-denied-parole
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/02/leonard-peltier-denied-parole#img-1
https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/resmurs-case-reservation-murders
