01/21/2025
Indigenous civil rights activist Leonard Peltier to be released from prison
“An important sign of justice”
The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) welcomes Joe Biden’s decision – as one of his last official acts – to finally convert the life sentence of Indigenous civil rights activist Leonard Peltier into a house arrest. “Leonard Peltier was imprisoned for decades, even though his guilt for the deaths of two FBI agents could never be proven. Joe Biden’s late decision to at least release him into house arrest now gives the seriously ill indigenous activist the opportunity to spend his last few years in dignity,” stated Sarah Reinke, head of human rights work at the STP.
“The systematic injustice between the US state and the Native Americans has left deep wounds. Peltier’s release from prison is an important sign of justice and reconciliation,” Reinke added. “We hope that being able to return to his community will have a positive impact on the 80-year-old’s health, allowing him to receive proper medical care.” In the maximum security prison, Peltier was subjected to inhumane conditions. He suffers from diabetes and heart problems and is increasingly going blind. In February, Peltier’s lawyer had spoken of inadequate basic medical care. Thus, Peltier had not received any dental care for ten years, causing him to lose all his teeth.
Leonard Peltier is a well-known activist of the American Indian Movement (AIM), which advocates for Indigenous rights. In 1977, he was sentenced to twice life for his alleged participation in a shootout at Pine Ridge Reservation. Two officers of the FBI and a young member of the American Indian Movement were killed in the shootout. To this day, it has not been fully clarified what happened back then. Peltier, who was found guilty of murder, had always maintained his innocence. The trial against him was characterized by questionable evidence and racist prejudice. Ballistic examinations revealed that the fatal shots did not come from his weapon. Later, it became known that the FBI had coerced witness statements. There is no evidence for his guilt. He was never granted a review of the verdict or a new trial.
Well-known supporters such as the late Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu, artists such as Harry Belafonte and Robert Redford, numerous politicians of the German Bundestag, the European Parliament, and the US Congress had demanded his release for decades. Even James H. Reynolds, a former prosecutor who was involved in the investigations against Peltier had later advocated for a pardon. The STP has been campaigning for Peltier’s release since Jimmy Carter’s term in office (1977–1981) and had also appealed to Joe Biden to pardon Peltier before the end of his term as US president.