Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
President Biden on Monday commuted the life sentence of activist Leonard Peltier, who was controversially convicted of killing two FBI agents, in the final hour of his presidency.
“The President is commuting the life sentence imposed on Leonard Peltier to serve the rest of his sentence at home. He is now 80 years old, suffers from serious health problems and has spent most of his life (almost half a year). century) in prison,” the White House said in a statement.
The commutation is different from a pardon, and the White House statement treats Peltier as guilty of the crimes he was convicted of.
Peltier, an activist affiliated with the American Indian Movement (AIM), was one of several people involved in a 1975 shootout that killed FBI agents Ronald Arthur Williams and Jack Ross Coler on the Pine Ridge Reservation of South Dakota.
Peltier is the only person convicted of her death. Two of his fellow activists were also charged with the murders, but were acquitted due to evidence that Peltier’s defense was not allowed to present.
The trial and conviction have long been controversial and criticized as unfair by Peltier’s defenders. They have pointed to the admission of a key witness who lied about witnessing the murders and his own relationship with Peltier, as well as a jury who was seated despite admitting prejudice against Native Americans.
Pope Francis, Amnesty International and the late Nelson Mandela have called for Peltier’s release, as has one of the federal prosecutors in his trial.
Peltier has been repeatedly denied parole, including last year, which likely would have been his last chance to avoid death in prison without presidential action. The FBI has continued to advocate vocally against his release or pardon, with FBI Director Christopher Wray calling him a “remorseless killer” during his most recent parole application.
