Indigenous rights and felony justice reform advocates on Tuesday celebrated as Native American political activist Leonard Peltier, who has maintained his innocence for practically 50 years since being sentenced to life in jail for the killing of two FBI brokers, walked out of a high-security jail in Florida and headed residence to North Dakota.
“Right this moment I’m lastly free,” said Peltier in an announcement to the Native information outlet Indianz.com. “They might have imprisoned me however they by no means took my spirit! Thanks to all my supporters all through the world who fought for my freedom. I’m lastly going residence. I stay up for seeing my mates, my household, and my neighborhood. It’s day right now.”
Advocates for Peltier, who’s 80 years previous, have lengthy referred to as for a presidential pardon and celebrated in January when former President Joe Biden announced he was commuting Peltier’s sentence. He’ll serve out the remainder of his sentence in residence confinement.
Nick Tilsen, CEO of the advocacy group NDN Collective, famous that earlier than his conviction Peltier was certainly one of 1000’s of Indigenous youngsters who have been taken from their households and despatched to boarding colleges, the place many suffered abuse.
“He hasn’t actually had a house since he was taken away to boarding college,” Tilsen told The Related Press. “So he’s excited to be at residence and paint and have grandkids working round.”
Peltier, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota, was convicted of two counts of first-degree homicide and given two consecutive life sentences after prosecutors accused him of taking pictures two FBI brokers at point-blank vary throughout a confrontation on the Oglala Sioux Indian Reservation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota in 1975.
Peltier has at all times maintained that he did fireplace a gun through the confrontation, however from a distance and in self-defense. A witness who claimed that she noticed Peltier shoot the brokers later mentioned she had been coerced into testifying and recanted her testimony.
Lynn Crooks, the federal chief prosecutor within the case, later admitted that the federal government “knew we hadn’t proved” that Peltier was responsible.
The American Indian Motion, which fought for Native American treaty rights and tribal self-determination and wherein Peltier was energetic, was topic to FBI surveillance and harassment when the taking pictures happened.
Kevin Sharp, an legal professional and former federal decide who has represented Peltier and filed quite a few clemency petitions for him, said the violent confrontation in 1975 was “unquestionably” a tragedy that was “solely additional compounded by the practically 50 years of wrongful incarceration for Leonard Peltier.”
“Misconduct by the federal government within the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Peltier has been a stain on our system of justice,” mentioned Sharp. “Leonard’s step outdoors the jail partitions right now marks a step towards his lengthy overdue freedom and a step towards reconciliation with Native People.”
The AP reported that Peltier left USP Coleman in Sumterville, Florida in an SUV on Tuesday morning and didn’t cease to talk to members of the press who have been gathered outdoors.
Amnesty International, which has lengthy campaigned for Peltier and considers him a political prisoner, applauded his launch.
“Leonard Peltier’s launch is the correct factor to do given the intense and ongoing human rights considerations in regards to the equity of his trial, his practically 50 years behind bars, his well being, and his age,” Paul O’Brien, government director of Amnesty Worldwide USA, said in an announcement. “Whereas we welcome his launch from jail, he shouldn’t be restricted to residence confinement.”
Tilsen said that Peltier’s “wrongful incarceration represented the oppression of Indigenous Peoples all over the place.”
“Peltier’s liberation is invaluable in and of itself,” mentioned Tilsen. “His launch right now is a logo of our collective energy and inherent freedom.”
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