UPDATE: Leonard Peltier clemency was denied 1.18.2017
Newsweek article: Is it Is It Time to Free Native American Activist Leonard Peltier?
Listen to 2012 Democracy Now interview
View International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee site
Lawyers for Leonard Peltier, an Anishinabe-Lakota Native American and leading member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) who has been imprisoned for over 40 years despite serious concerns about the fairness of proceedings leading to his conviction, have written a letter to the Department of Justice asking that he be provided clemency.
Peltier has been serving two consecutive life sentences in a maximum security prison, most recentlyin Florida, in connection with the murders of two FBI agents, Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, during a confrontation involving AIM members on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota in June 1975.While he admits to having been present during the incident, Peltier has always denied killing the agents.
Leonard Peltier’s clemency application has been filed with the Office of the Pardon Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice.
His 1993 application for clemency was denied by George W. Bush as one of his last actions as President in 2009. After a required waiting period, Leonard became eligible to re-file. Since October 2015, a team has worked on the final version of the application (which is far more involved than just filling out a form).
What does this mean for supporters? Focus on the White House. We have less than a year to convince President Obama to grant clemency to Leonard Peltier.
Please call President Obama for Leonard Peltier: 202-456-1111 or 202-456-1414 every work day.
Frequently email President Obama: http://www.whitehouse.gov/
Post a comment on Obama’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/
Send a tweet to President Obama: @POTUS
Write a letter: President Barack Obama, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500.
If ever there was a time to be very active on Leonard’s behalf it’s now!