UPDATE: On January 20, 2025, President Biden commuted the life sentence of Indigenous elder and activist Leonard Peltier.
Paul O’Brien, executive director of Amnesty International USA, made the following statement:
“President Biden was right to commute the life sentence of Indigenous elder and activist Leonard Peltier given the serious human rights concerns about the fairness of his trial.
“Amnesty International has advocated for the U.S. government to grant Leonard Peltier clemency for years, following the leadership of Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples.”
Peltier was released from prison on February 18, 2025, as a result of that commutation.
No further action is required.
Read more about Amnesty International’s campaign to free Leonard Peltier
Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist, was imprisoned for nearly 50 years in the USA for a crime he maintains he did not commit. There are serious and ongoing concerns about the fairness of his trial and conviction. Tribal Nations, Nobel Peace Laureates, former FBI agents, numerous others, and even the former U.S. Attorney, James Reynolds, whose office handled the prosecution, have called for Leonard Peltier’s release.
Each and every person in this country deserves a fair trial and rectification if the institutions meant to protect them do not do so. Leonard Peltier needs and deserves justice.
NDN Collective
Please support NDN Collective who are assisting Leonard Peltier post-release and work to build the collective power of Indigenous Peoples, communities, and Nations.