The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) in partnership 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 has spent nearly five decades in prison for crimes related to his involvement in the American Indian Movement (AIM).
NACDL President Christopher A. Wellborn penned the letter on the Association’s behalf, explaining that Peltier’s case is a “stark example of systemic racism and injustice within the criminal legal system”.
“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 incarcerated. This prolonged imprisonment, particularly for an elderly man in declining health, is a profound injustice,” he writes. “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 in advocating for Peltier’s release with Holly Cook Macarro, who leads Government Affairs for NDN Collective, speaking out against what she calls “a historic wrong.”
“The injustice of Leonard Peltier’s long incarceration has inspired many voices to step 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 wrong by granting clemency to Mr. Peltier,” Macarro said.
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