news Biden commutes sentence of Native American activist Leonard Peltier

[Virgos Groove]

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Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee, and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, led 33 members of Congress on Friday in a letter calling on President Biden to pardon Leonard Peltier — a Native American activist controversially convicted of murdering two FBI agents.

 

The letter cites Peltier's age and health concerns, as well as the U.S. Parole Commission's denial of his application in July, which likely marked his last chance at parole. In addition to 33 current senators and representatives, it is signed by former Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.).

 

"These recent denials mean only you have the unique ability to grant him clemency and rectify this grave injustice that has long troubled human rights advocates and Native Peoples across the globe," the group wrote.

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Peltier was involved in the American Indian Movement (AIM) in the 1970s, which led him to travel to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota amid tensions between the tribal chairman and a traditionalist faction of the Lakota nation. Agents Ronald Arthur Williams and Jack Ross Coler were killed in a shootout on the reservation, and Peltier was convicted and given two life sentences in 1977.

 

The trial has long been criticized as unfair by Peltier's advocates, citing the fact that a key witness for the prosecution later recanted, as well as two other men who were charged in the murders but later acquitted based on evidence that was not allowed in Peltier's trial.

 

Pope Francis, the late Nelson Mandela and James Reynolds, a prosecutor in the case, have all lobbied for clemency or a pardon.

The Hill

 

I know I already shouldn't expect any kind of morals from a genocidaire, but if he can pardon his son and a ******* child trafficker, surely he can pardon a (probably unfairly charged) 80-yo as well, no?

 

UPDATE:

 

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Joe Biden, in one of his final acts as president Monday, commuted the life sentence of Native American rights activist Leonard Peltier, who was convicted of killing two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and of escaping from federal prison.

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In a statement, the White House said the commutation will enable Peltier to spend his remaining days in home confinement, "but will not pardon him for his underlying crimes."

NBC News

Edited 8 hours ago by Virgos Groove

[JustHoran]

I've read tons on this case recently and he should not be pardoned.

[Gov Hooka]

I've read tons on this case and he SHOULD be pardoned.

 

biden won't though because he's an absolute piece of **** 

[Virgos Groove]

His sentence was commuted.

 

No pardon, sadly, but at least he can spend his final days with his family.

[GhostBox]

On 12/17/2024 at 9:59 PM, Gov Hooka said:

I've read tons on this case and he SHOULD be pardoned.

 

biden won't though because he's an absolute piece of **** 

🙊 oops 

 

good for this man 👏🏼