On January 20, 2025, in the final hour of his presidency, former President Biden announced that he was commuting the life sentence of Native American elder and activist Leonard Peltier to home confinement. In response to Leonard Peltier being released from prison today as a result of that commutation, Paul O’Brien executive director with Amnesty International USA said the following:
“Leonard Peltier’s release is the right thing to do given the serious and ongoing human rights concerns about the fairness of his trial, his nearly 50 years behind bars, his health and his age. While we welcome his release from prison, he should not be restricted to home confinement.”
Background
- Leonard Peltier, Native American activist and member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), was convicted in relation to the killing of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975. He has always maintained his innocence. Amnesty International joined Tribal Nations, Tribal Leaders, Members of Congress, former FBI agents, Nobel Laureates and former U.S. Attorney James Reynolds, whose office handled Peltier’s prosecution and appeal, in urging his release.
- Amnesty International has examined Peltier’s case extensively for many years, sent observers to his trial in 1977, and long campaigned on his behalf.