BREAKING! #LeonardPeltier Left Prison on Tuesday Morning

By #BrendaNorrell, #CensoredNews, Feb. 18, 2025

"Leonard Peltier will be welcomed home today, and greeted with signs along the roadway and a community feast. 'In The Honor Of' meal will be held at the Sky Dancer Casino Event Center in
#BelcourtNorthDakota, on February 18th, 2025. The meal will start at 6:00 p.m.
'Let's celebrate Leonard with the honor and glory that he deserves,' Peltier's family said.

"'As Leonard arrives on home to the Turtle Mountains, supporters of Leonard's are welcome to come and join the celebration in giving Leonard a warm welcome home by holding signs, honking, cheering and clapping with cars lined up starting from the reservation line coming from Rolla stretching into Belcourt. Please stay safe, no standing on the highway and stay on the shoulder. Please do not leave any signs behind, take them with you.'

"'As Leonard passes through, we are not allowed to follow him, please respect this. Following Leonard's welcome home at the reservation line everyone is welcome to gather for a meal in the honor of Leonard at the Sky Dancer Casino Event Center for stew, bangs and gullet as this is the first meal that Leonard requested for when he returns home.'

"'We do not know yet as of this post of Leonard's restrictions if he will be able to attend the meal.'

"Leonard is an 80-year-old elder with health problems and his first day of being released after nearly 50 years of incarceration will be a lot for Leonard to comprehend. If Leonard cannot attend, we are trying to set up for him to be on FaceTime or a phone call during the meal.'

"'The exact time of Leonard's arrival to Belcourt is still unknown.'

"'Everyone is welcome to come and celebrate this historical day of honoring our elder Leonard Peltier,' Peltier's family said today.

"Please check back for the livestream on Censored News on Tuesday."

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/02/feast-welcomes-leonard-peltier-home-on.html
#LeonardPeltierIsFree #AIM #NativeAmericanNews #NativeAmericanActivist #ReaderSupportedNews

HT and congratulations to the @uraniumfestival! Thanks for doing all that you do!

2025 #NuclearFreeFuture Award laureates announced

January 14, 2025

"The 2025 Nuclear-Free Future Awards will this year honor individuals from #Brazil, #India, #Navajo country, the United States and #Zimbabwe for their achievements in working for a #NuclearFree world.

"The Award laureates are chosen by an international jury of their peers and are offered in three categories: #Resistance, Education and Solution. The 2025 laureates are: #SPUdayakumar (India) for Resistance; #MárciaGomesDeOliveira and #NorbertSuchanek (Brazil) for Education; and #EdwickMadzimure (Zimbabwe) for Solution.

"Honorary Lifetime Achievement awards will be given to teacher, author and #AntiNuclear activist, #JoannaMacy, and posthumously to #NativeAmericanActivist and musician, #KleeBenally.

"The Nuclear-Free Future Awards will be held on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at The Great Hall at Cooper Union in New York City (7 E 7th St. NY NY.) A reception at 6pm will be followed by the awards ceremony starting at 7pm. Both events are free admission and open to the public. Media are welcome.

"The Nuclear-Free Future Awards were founded by German journalist, filmmaker and activist, Claus Biegert, in 1998 and were first held in Salzburg, Austria. Since then, the Awards have traveled the world, honoring the largely unsung heroes of the Nuclear Age who work to end uranium mining and rid the world of nuclear weapons, nuclear power and uranium munitions.

"The event is a co-presentation of #BeyondNuclear and International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Germany, an affiliate of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization #IPPNW.

"The 2025 Awards event takes place during the Third Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of #NuclearWeapons March 3-7 at the United Nations."

https://beyondnuclear.org/2025-nuclear-free-future-award-laureates-announced/
#NoUraniumMining #UraniumFilmFestival #NoNukes #NoWar #RadioactivePollutionKills #ItsTimeToCleanUpTheMines #NuclearFreeFuture #NuclearWeapons

#LeonardPeltier is finally going home!

“It’s finally over–I’m going home,” said Peltier in response to the news. “I want to show the world I’m a good person with a good heart. I want to help the people, just like my grandmother taught me.”

Breaking news!

#CensoredNews: "With just moments left before he leaves office, President Joe Biden commuted the life sentence of Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier. Biden said Peltier is to serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement."

Leonard Peltier (from 2015): "I have been a resister to the attempted genocide of my people ever since those days, and for this I will more than likely die in a prison. On February 6th, 2015, I will have served 40 years in a federal prison, even after the prosecutor said in 1984 in a high court, the government doesn't know who killed their agents and have no proof against me, because there is none. I was sentenced to 2 life sentences to run consecutively. When I was indicted a life sentence was 7 years, which means I have served 5 life sentences and 4 years, for resisting genocide against Native people. I am only guilty of being Indian."

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/01/leonard-peltier-is-going-home-biden.html
#FreeLeonardPeltier #LeonardPeltierFree #AIM #ReaderSupportedNews #NativeAmericanActivist

Miami State Rep asks #Biden for clemency to handful of people, including survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking

By: Mitch Perry, January 18, 2025

"With just two days left in his presidency, Miami-Dade Democratic Rep. #DotieJoseph is calling on Joe Biden to extend clemency and pardons to a handful of individuals and groups who she says represent critical cases of injustice and unfairness.

"She’s calling for clemency for #LeonardPeltier, the #NativeAmericanActivist who was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of two FBI agents in a 1975 shooting on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Peltier has been imprisoned for more than 48 years, with dozens of members of Congress urging his release. Peltier, 79, has maintained his innocence throughout his time in prison.

"She wants a presidential pardon for #MarilynMosby, state attorney for Baltimore from 2015 to 2013. Last May she was sentenced to 12 months of home confinement as part of a 36 month sentence of supervised release for making a false mortgage application and two counts of perjury.

"Joseph described Mosby in her letter as 'the courageous State Attorney whose politically motivated prosecution was pay-back for her efforts to hold accountable those responsible for the inexcusable death of #FreddyGray, who was killed while handcuffed in custody.'

"Joseph seeks a pardon for #StevenDonziger, an environmental and human rights attorney. Donziger won a $9.5 billion judgement against Chevron in an environmental lawsuit in Ecuador. He was sentenced to six months in jail in 2023 for failing to comply with a judge’s order to surrender all of his electronic devices, according to CNBC.

"Rep. Joseph is calling for a pardon for #survivors of #DomesticViolence and #HumanTrafficking who are 'incarcerated for desperate acts of #SelfDefense against their abusers, and doing so would redress the system’s failure to protect them and end their cycle of continued victimization.'

"Biden’s tenure in office ends at 11:59 am, Monday, Jan.20.

"Biden commuted the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses on Friday morning."

https://www.islandernews.com/news/miami/miami-state-rep-asks-biden-for-clemency-to-handful-of-people-including-survivors-of-domestic/article_96808a2a-d5a4-11ef-a73f-f784dd7195a7.html
#FreeLeonardPeltier #FreeStevenDonziger #AmnestyForLeonardPeltier #ClemencyForLeonardPeltier

President #Biden: Let boarding school survivor #LeonardPeltier finally return home

Leonard Peltier is the longest-incarcerated Native political prisoner in American history, and one of the oldest people currently in federal prison

by Nick Tilsen, January 18, 2025

"The people of the #PineRidgeReservation see #Peltier as our respected elder, and we have purchased and prepared a house for him on his homelands in #TurtleMountain. We are ready to welcome him home with open arms, to show him the care and support he deserved for his whole life. He deserves to live out his last days with dignity and surrounded by loved ones.

"#PresidentBiden, we implore you one last time: please have mercy. Please let Leonard Peltier come home and heal from the systems that stole his innocence as a young boy and lasted a lifetime."

https://ictnews.org/opinion/president-biden-let-boarding-school-survivor-leonard-peltier-finally-return-home
#FreeLeonardPeltier #AmnestyForLeonardPeltier #ClemencyForLeonardPeltier #BringLeonardHome #AIM #AmericanIndianMovement #NativeAmericanActivist #FBI #ACAB

Will #Biden Grant #LeonardPeltier Clemency? #Indigenous Leaders Plead, “Don’t Let Him Die in Prison”

#DemocracyNow, January 17, 2025

"After commuting the sentences of over 2,500 people imprisoned for nonviolent drug offenses, Joe Biden has set a record for most pardons and commutations by a U.S. president. But Indigenous political prisoner Leonard Peltier remains behind bars. Over 120 tribal leaders are calling on Biden to grant clemency to Peltier as one of his final acts in office, warning this may be the last opportunity Peltier has for freedom. Peltier is 80 years old and has spent the majority of his life — nearly half a century — in prison despite a conviction riddled with irregularities and prosecutorial misconduct. In December, tribal leaders, including the #NDNCollective’s Nick Tilsen, met with a pardon attorney at the Department of Justice to prepare a recommendation on Peltier’s case for Biden. With only a few days left in Biden’s term, #NativeAmericans are eagerly anticipating his decision. 'All of us see a little bit of ourselves in Leonard Peltier, and that’s why we fight so hard for him,' says Tilsen. 'This is about paving a path forward that gives us the opportunity to have justice and begin to heal the relationship between the United States government and Indian people. And so, this decision is massive.' "

Listen / watch / read transcript (available after 1pm EST): https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1/17/free_leonard_peltier_biden_clemency
#ClemencyForLeonardPeltier #AmnestyForLeonardPeltier #FreeLeonardPeltier #AmericanIndianMovement #AIM #NativeAmericanActivist #FBI #ACAB #TruthAndReconciliation

#Taos #ReggaeBand #IrieBellion Releases Powerful Single Advocating #ClemencyForLeonardPeltier

By Native News Online Staff
January 07, 2025

"Six-piece reggae band IrieBellion, based in #TaosNewMexico, has released a new single to advocate for the release of #LeonardPeltier, a #NativeAmericanActivist who has been imprisoned for nearly 50 years.

"'Leonard Peltier’s Song' features Grammy-winning flutist #RobertMirabal of Taos Pueblo and a traditional drum group composed of singers from several Indigenous nations. Through this collaboration, the band hopes to amplify calls for President Joe Biden to grant clemency to Peltier.

"The song blends IrieBellion’s reggae-inspired rhythms with Robert Mirabal’s signature flute playing and the traditional Indigenous drumming and singing of #JohnSwiftbird (#Lakota), #ChaskePacheco (#Dakota / #SantaDomingoPueblo), and #BrysonSanchez (Dakota / #SanFelipePueblo).

"The song makes a direct #PleaForJustice, with Davis crafting a chorus —'Do the right thing, let freedom ring/ ​It's been so long, let's right this wrong' — that appeals to #PresidentBiden to take action and right what the band views as a longstanding wrong.

"The musical advocacy for Peltier's case has a rich history in popular music. #RobbieRobertson (Mohawk), the legendary guitarist and songwriter of The Band, created a particularly powerful statement with his song 'Sacrifice', which incorporated Peltier's own voice through a recorded prison phone call with Robertson. Little Steven (#StevenVanZandt), known for both his work with Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and his solo career, also contributed to this musical legacy with his own 'Leonard Peltier,' which, like IrieBellion's new release, used Caribbean rhythms to carry its message of justice.

"Peltier, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of #Chippewa Indians, became involved in the American Indian Movement (#AIM) in the 1970s, a time of tension between Indigneous communities and the U.S. government.

AIM advocated addressing issues such as police brutality, treaty violations, and systemic inequality affecting Native Americans.

"Peltier’s case comes from a 1975 shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, where two FBI agents and a young Native man were killed. The shootout occurred during a period of violence on the reservation, often referred to as the '#ReignOfTerror,' when residents faced threats and attacks for their ties to AIM.

"Peltier was convicted in 1977 of killing the agents, but his trial has been widely criticized. Key evidence was withheld by the prosecution, including ballistics reports that could have supported his defense.

"Eyewitness testimony used to extradite Peltier from Canada was later recanted, with the witness stating they were coerced by the FBI. Even the U.S. attorney who handled the case has since admitted that no one knows who fired the fatal shots.

"Peltier has maintained his innocence for nearly five decades, and his case has been condemned by numerous human rights organizations, including #AmnestyInternational. Calls for his release have grown in recent years, with Peltier now in his late seventies and facing health challenges.

"'Leonard Peltier’s Song' is available on streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music, and can also be found on IrieBellion’s HearNow page. The band encourages listeners to not only enjoy the song but also take action by learning about Peltier’s case, signing petitions, and contacting officials to advocate for his release.

"For those who want to learn more, organizations such as the International #LeonardPeltierDefenseCommittee provide resources and updates on efforts to secure his freedom."

https://nativenewsonline.net/arts-entertainment/taos-reggae-band-iriebellion-releases-powerful-single-advocating-clemency-for-leonard-peltier
#ACAB #FBI #AmericanindianMovement #PineRidge #FreeLeonardPeltier #AmnestyForLeonardPeltier #ClemencyForLeonardPeltier

#JoeBiden is #LeonardPeltier’s last hope

The imprisoned #NativeAmerican is long overdue for clemency. Joe #Biden is probably the last president who can give it to him

Rose Styron and Alex Matthiessen
January 7, 2025

"As Joe Biden prepares to leave office, he has a chance to do something singularly honorable in the name of American justice and basic human rights. With a grant of clemency to Leonard Peltier, Biden could ameliorate a half-century-old injustice not just against Peltier but, in effect, against Native peoples everywhere, many of whom consider Peltier an enduring symbol of racism and state-sponsored oppression in the US.

"For those Americans who may not have heard of him, Leonard Peltier is known around the world as the US government’s number one political prisoner. A member of the Chippewa and Lakota Nations, Peltier was convicted in 1976 for the deaths, the year before, of two FBI agents killed during a shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. While he was in the area at the time of the shootout, Peltier, who maintains his innocence, has served nearly 50 years and counting for a murder he was never proved to have committed – or even to have aided and abetted.

"It is widely understood that the federal government railroaded Peltier into prison by withholding and falsifying evidence, coercing witnesses and forcing a change of jurisdiction, among other acts of prosecutorial misconduct and malice. The US attorney James Reynolds, whose office handled the prosecution and appeal of the case, issued a public apology in 2021, acknowledging that the federal government failed to “prove that Mr Peltier personally committed any offense on the Pine Ridge Reservation”. Reynolds has since called on Biden to release Peltier.

"Reynolds’s statement alone should have been grounds for granting Peltier parole and ultimately clemency. Yet, despite multiple pleas over many decades, Peltier – who just turned 80 and is suffering from multiple health crises including diabetes, kidney disease, heart issues and near blindness – continues to languish in a high-security prison in Florida called Coleman 1."

Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/07/joe-biden-leonard-peltiers-clemency
#FBI #ACAB #FreeLeonardPeltier #AmnestyForLeonardPeltier #ClemencyForLeonardPeltier #NativeAmericanActivist #AIM #AmericanindianMovement

#Grijalva, Sen. Schatz Lead 34 Lawmakers Urging #PresidentBiden to Pardon #NativeAmericanActivist #LeonardPeltier

From U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Dec 19, 2024

WASHINGTON – "U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Chairman #BrianSchatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a letter signed by 34 Members of Congress to President Biden urging him to grant clemency for renowned Native American rights activist Leonard Peltier in the final weeks of his term. Mr. Peltier was convicted of murder in 1977 following a controversial investigation and trial, which many civil rights leaders and legal experts have called unjust, including the U.S. Attorney who prosecuted the case.

"In their letter, the lawmakers cite Mr. Peltier’s advanced age and illness, and stress that a presidential pardon is the last remaining hope for his freedom.

"'Despite the grave concerns surrounding the continued imprisonment of Mr. Peltier, who is now 80 years old and suffering from severe health conditions, including increasing vision loss, the Bureau of Prisons denied Mr. Peltier a compassionate release or reduction in sentence in April of this year; and in July 2024, the U.S. Parole Commission denied him parole. These recent denials mean only you have the unique ability to grant him clemency and rectify this grave #injustice that has long troubled #HumanRights advocates and #NativePeoples across the globe,' the lawmakers wrote.

"The lawmakers highlight the Biden-Harris administration’s unprecedented record of addressing the country’s history of injustices against Indigenous communities and urge President Biden to cement this legacy by commuting Mr. Peltier’s sentence.

"The letter was also signed by Representatives Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (D-Ill.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Daniel Kildee (D-Mich.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Summer Lee (D-Ohio), Erica Lee Carter (D-Texas), Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), James McGovern (D-Mass.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), #AlexandriaOcasioCortez (D-N.Y.), #IlhanOmar (D-Minn.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), Janice Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.), #RashidaTlaib (D-Mich.), #JillTokuda (D-Hawai‘i), and #NydiaVelázquez (D-N.Y.), as well as U.S. Senators #MazieHirono (D-Hawai’i), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), #BernieSanders (I-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), #ElizabethWarren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D- Vt.), and former U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.).

BACKGROUND

"In 1977, Leonard Peltier was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of two FBI agents. His trial and conviction have been widely criticized by civil rights leaders and legal experts; key evidence was withheld, witnesses were coerced, and critical ballistics information was misrepresented. Mr. Peltier was an active member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), a grassroots movement founded in the late 1960s to organize activism around systemic poverty, discrimination, and police brutality against Native Americans. At the time of Mr. Peltier’s arrest, AIM was under deep scrutiny by the U.S. government.

"Last year, Ranking Member #Grijalva led a bipartisan, bicameral 33-member letter calling on President Biden and the U.S. Department of Justice to grant clemency to Mr. Peltier, as well as in October 2021 and February 2022. Grijalva spoke with Mr. Peltier in 2022 and recounted his description of harsh and often inhumane conditions in federal detention, including long periods of solitary confinement and major challenges in obtaining adequate medical care for his declining health."

Source:
https://www.charkoosta.com/news/grijalva-sen-schatz-lead-34-lawmakers-urging-president-biden-to-pardon-native-american-activist-leonard/article_067787be-bd7e-11ef-9e89-2f59e879ef5e.html
#FreeLeonardPeltier #AmnestyForLeonardPeltier #ClemencyForLeonardPeltier #AmericanIndianMovement #AIM #FBI