Leonard Peltier (Photo/File)
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), in collaboration with indigenous leaders, sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Monday, December 16, 2024, urging him to grant clemency to Leonard Peltier. Peltier, 80, who spent nearly five decades in prison for crimes related to his involvement with the American Indian Movement (AIM).
NACDL President Christopher A. Wellborn wrote the letter on behalf of the Association, explaining that Peltier’s case is a “stark example of systemic racism and injustice within the criminal justice system.”
Never miss Indian Country’s biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up and receive our reporting directly to your inbox every weekday morning.
“Mr. Peltier’s conviction has been widely criticized as flawed and unjust. Despite the government’s admission that it could not definitively prove his guilt, he remains imprisoned. This prolonged captivity, especially for an elderly man in declining health, is a great injustice,” he wrote. “I implore you to act with courage and compassion and release Leonard Peltier. His freedom would be a beacon of hope for countless others who have suffered injustice.”
NDN Collective has been a proponent of advocating for Peltier’s release along with Holly Cook Macarro, who leads government affairs for NDN Collective, speaking out against what she calls “a historic mistake.”
“The injustice of Leonard Peltier’s long imprisonment has inspired many voices to come forward and call for his release. President Biden has the opportunity to cement his historic legacy in Indian Country as our greatest president and right a historic injustice by pardoning Mr. Peltier,” Macarro said.
About the Author: “Neely Bardwell (descendant of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indian) is a staff reporter for Native News Online. Bardwell is also a student at Michigan State University, where she is majoring in policy and minoring in Native American Studies .”
Contact: neely@nativenewsonline.net
