Throughout the world this man 'dubbed' the Nelson Mandela of North America is considered a political prisoner. With the support of AIM (The American Indian Movement), Amnesty International, global religious and political leaders, as well as over 20 million individuals, Peltier continues to fight not only for personal freedom but for justice for all Native Americans.
Leonard Peltier was convicted for the deaths of two FBI agents who died on this day in 1975 in a shoot out at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
Mr Peltier was an AIM leader who had been asked by the traditional people at Pine Ridge, South Dakota, to come and help protect these people from violenceand to protect the peoples land from mining operators,for uranium. In the two years prior to the confrontation more than 60 indians at the Pine Ridge Reservation had been killed, without anyone being brought to justice for their crimes.
The confrontation in which the two FBI agents were killed after the agents had entered the reservation with an arrest warrant. A fire fight ensured. Evidence was presented at trial to show that the agents had recieved multiple shots and were quickly disabled beforebeing shot dead at point blank range. Two other AIM leaders were initially charged with the agents' murders and were tried seperately, no evidence at the time was presented to link them to the killings. They were subsequently acqitted after evidence emerged about the atmosphere and intimidation on the reservation, with the conclusion that they might have been acting in self-defence.
Following their acquittal, the FBI renewed its efforts to pursue Leonard Peltier, they needed a scapegoat and he was arrested on February 6th 1976.
He was never given a fair trial, faced with an all white jury,federal autorities quashed or destroyed thousands of pages of evidence which would have led to his freedom.The balluistic evidence was deeply flawed, and no real links to identify Mr Peltier with the murder.
His most recent petition for release on parole was denied in 2009, and I understand that he is not eligible for consideration for parole again until 2024.
Now aged 68 in poor health he has been incarcenated for 37 years, in poor health, suffering from diabetes, a heart condition and high blood pressure. Over the years he has become a model prisoner, still proclaiming his innocence, his committment to his fellow Native American rights undimmed, he spends his time concentrating on art and writing.
It is time
TO FREE LEONARD PELTIER NOW.
Some petitions
http://www.change.org/petitions/leonard-peltier-petition-2
http://www.petitiononline.com/Clemency/petition.html
http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/free-leonard-peltier.html
Official Leonard Peltier website
http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info/
Immortal Technique - Internally Bleeding
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