 |
Tue Feb 09 2010
|
|
|
Departments National Issues
President Obama must free Leonard Peltier
by Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
January 23, 2009
The welcome news that President Obama is taking steps to shut Guantanamo and right other Bush-era human rights abuses must quickly be joined by a proclamation of freedom for Leonard Peltier.
Peltier is the nation's best-known native activist and has become a global symbol of abject injustice and prison abuse. Imprisoned in the late 1970s for allegedly murdering two FBI agents, Peltier has never been given a fair trial. Federal authorities have quashed or destroyed thousands of pages of evidence that might have freed Peltier decades ago.
The Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee points out that "Amnesty International considers Leonard Peltier to be a political prisoner whose avenues of redress have long
been exhausted....Amnesty International recognizes that a retrial is no longer a feasible option and believes that Leonard Peltier should be immediately and unconditionally released."
The committee adds that" Documents show that although the prosecution and government pointed the finger at Peltier for shooting FBI agents at close range during the trial in 1976, for three years the prosecution withheld critical ballistic test results
proving that the fatal bullets could not have come from the gun tied
to Leonard Peltier. This trial also denied evidence of self defense."
The committee further states that: "the U.S. Prosecutor, during subsequent oral arguments, stated: "we can't prove who shot those agents.” And that the Eighth Circuit found that "There is a possibility that the jury would have acquitted Leonard
Peltier had the records and data improperly withheld from the defense been available to him in order to better exploit and reinforce the inconsistencies casting strong doubts upon the government's case."
The committee also says that "Judge Heaney, who authored the denial now supports Mr. Peltier's release, stating that the FBI used improper tactics to gain Mr. Peltier's conviction."
Now 64 years old, Peltier is suffering from diabetes and a series of other serious ailments brought on by his decades in prison. He has great grandchildren he has never seen. His case is the centerpiece of the book IN THE SPIRIT OF CRAZY HORSE by Peter Matthiessen.
Reports from Betty Peltier-Solano, Leonard's sister, now assert that Peltier was severely beaten during a recent transfer to the Canaan Federal Penitentiary. According to Peltier-Solano, he has been held in solitary confinement and limited to a single meal a day, a serious threat to his health due to his diabetes.
Over the decades Peltier has been a model prisoner, concentrating on his art and writing. His commitment to native American rights has been consistent throughout the years, though he's been repeatedly denied media access.
Peltier is eligible for parole in the near future. His supporters fear this latest round of abuse may be designed to discredit him. The FBI recently sent a letter accusing Peltier of prompting this latest attack. Given Peltier's age, poor health, immanent parole status and long-standing political commitments canont be viewed as a calculated absurdity. His sister writes that "currently, the FBI is actively seeking support for his continued imprisonment."
The political involvement of the FBI is itself an issue the President must address. At very least Peltier should be freed on bail pending a new trial, with a concerted effort on the part of the new Department of Justice to unearth all suppressed evidence in this case.
Leonard Peltier has languished unjustly in prison far longer than those held in Guantanamo. It is time to set him free!
To find out more, contact the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee at http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info.
--
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman have co-authored four books on election protection, which appear at http://freepress.org, along with Bob's FITRAKIS FILES. Harvey's HISTORY OF THE U.S. is at http://harveywasserman.com. This article was originally published by http://freepress.org.
Email this article to a friend
|
|
 | |
Don't forget to check out articles from 2009 and 2010National Issues
"McCain could have meant Less War" December 31, 2009 David Swanson
"Healthcare mandate vs. the Constitution" December 24, 2009 David Swanson
"A healthy economy" December 24, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"Apostle of our inner genius" December 17, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"Wars or jobs: decide now" December 14, 2009 David Swanson
"Are Americans Too Broken for the Truth to Set Us Free?" December 13, 2009 Bruce E. Levine
"The school-to-prison pipeline" December 11, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"Kucinich circulating privileged resolutions to end wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan" December 10, 2009 David Swanson
"National security state still killing John F Kennedy" December 7, 2009 Pete Johnson
"Richard Viguerie calls GOP litmus tests "Well intentioned," but urges replacement of Republican establishment leaders" December 3, 2009 Bob Sturm
"Craziest Obavietghanistan speech moments " December 2, 2009 David Swanson
"New civil resistance coalition formed to end the war" December 1, 2009 Cindy Sheehan
"Anti-Americans" November 24, 2009 Christopher Bifani
"Why can't we do to DC what we did to Seattle? " November 19, 2009 David Swanson
"They should get a union" November 17, 2009 David Swanson
"KSM and MSM" November 17, 2009 David Swanson
"The two percent robustness" November 15, 2009 David Swanson
"Between hate speech and adoration" November 15, 2009 David Swanson
"Pelosi arrested us for asking for healthcare" November 15, 2009 Dan Hodges, Chair, Health Care for All-California
"Over 2,200 veterans died in 2008 due to lack of health insurance " November 15, 2009 Physicians for a National Health Program
"Isolated incident" November 15, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"Come together right now" November 15, 2009 David Swanson
"Joel Peresman of the Rock Hall Foundation says the time has come today " November 4, 2009 Harvey Wasserman
"Between hate speech and adoration" November 2, 2009 David Swanson
"Preview of Ramzy Baroud's 'My Father was a Freedom Fighter'" October 29, 2009 Stephen Lendman
"Why I am risking arrest for Medicare for all " October 29, 2009 Margaret Flowers, M.D., Congressional Fellow, Physicians for a National Health Program
"Single-eye vision" October 29, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"Did Obama/McCain choice matter?" October 28, 2009 David Swanson
"No one else will stop the killing -- Veteran's group to members: Multiply resistance by any peaceful means available " October 27, 2009 Mike Ferner
"Accepting the prize" October 26, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"Glen Ford speaks in Columbus" October 26, 2009 Free Press
"Heavy Traffic" October 23, 2009 Terence Robertson
"Who SHOULD Decide About War?" October 14, 2009 By David Swanson
"Starting Another Year of War in Afghanistan" October 14, 2009 Norman Solomon
"Congress must pass single-payer health care now! " September 30, 2009 Cynthia McKinney
"U.S. Drug War Priorities in Need of Re-Evaluation" September 16, 2009 Mary Jane Borden
"Senator Kennedy visits then Cleveland City Councilman" August 26, 2009 Representative Dennis Kucinich
"Govt-funded reporter urged lynching of Black Congresswoman" August 24, 2009 David Swanson
"HEALTH CARE WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE" August 20, 2009 Congressman Dennis Kucinich
"Oligarchy rules the health care debate" August 20, 2009 Pete Johnson
"Six months of immunity" August 7, 2009 David Swanson
"Grand theft auto: how Stevie the Rat bankrupted GM " August 7, 2009 Greg Palast
"The perfect storm " July 29, 2009 Don Ruben
"The Joint Public-Option Single-Payer United Front " July 29, 2009 David Swanson
"Breaking sarcasm: Holder Joins Conyers in Demanding Action" July 26, 2009 David Swanson
"If media were any good " July 22, 2009 David Swanson
"I've Seen 1,200 Torture Photos" July 22, 2009 david swanson
"California should pay its people in pot" July 9, 2009 “Thomas Paine”
"How to trap a torture judge" July 8, 2009 Cynthia Papermaster and Susan Harman, ImpeachBybee.org
"A Campaign Proposal for Progressives* Two Ways to Pay As You Go" July 8, 2009 David Swanson
"Declaration of Indictment" July 7, 2009 David Swanson
"Remove the filibuster from the Senate rules" July 7, 2009 David Swanson
"The Emperor's seven signing statements " July 6, 2009 David Swanson
"Letter to Obama from a dying friend" July 4, 2009 Robert Ellis Gordon and Paul Rogat Loeb
"Honor our hemp-raising patriot heroes" July 3, 2009 “Thomas Paine”
"Breaking: Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously finds Franken winner" June 30, 2009 Brad Blog
"Why demand to prosecute torture will grow" June 28, 2009 David Swanson
"The Iron Triangle" June 26, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"The rise of single-payer health care " June 25, 2009 David Swanson
"Trading press events for votes: What should press do?" June 24, 2009 David Swanson
"U.S. government threatens to prosecute waterboarding" June 22, 2009 David Swanson
"Gutting the health care plan: the scorpion and the Congress " June 22, 2009 Paul Rogat Loeb
"Darth Vader Cheney and the next attack" June 17, 2009 Pete Johnson
"Justice for the privileged" June 11, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"The Omnibus CYA Act of 2009" June 11, 2009 David Swanson
"We don't need the General Motors Corporation" June 8, 2009 Mike Ferner
"New report casts exclusion of single payer option as a question of democracy and human rights" May 27, 2009 Cathy Albisa
"Peace rising" May 27, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"Democratic Socialists? Dems Not Half That Good" May 25, 2009 Bob Fitrakis
"Give workers what they need!" May 24, 2009 Dick Meister
"Priorities" May 21, 2009 David Swanson
"Never Again" May 21, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"George & the Water Board " May 18, 2009 David Swanson
"76 members of Congress oppose staying in Afghanistan forever" May 18, 2009 David Swanson
"Holder's plans as clear as Gonzales' memory " May 17, 2009 David Swanson
"Why isn't Obama turning to the Credit Unions? " May 12, 2009 Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"Connell's sister now doubts plane crash was accident" May 10, 2009 Ralph Lopez
"Renters caught in squeeze face eviction" May 9, 2009 Gary Baumgarten
"Interview with Dr. Margaret Flowers, arrested Tuesday on Capitol Hill, part two" May 9, 2009 Joan Brunwasser
"Why we risked arrest for single-payer health care " May 9, 2009 Margaret Flowers, M.D.
"Not outraged about torture? " May 8, 2009 Pete Johnson, Free Press staff
"Take your torture photos to church day" May 8, 2009 David Swanson
"The hounds of heaven" May 7, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"Pay to play politics is unacceptable for health care reform" May 7, 2009 Kevin Zeese
"It's national Nancy Off the Table Day" May 7, 2009 David Swanson
"President Obama's war budget: analyzing the numbers" May 6, 2009 Jeff Leys, Voices for Creative Nonviolence
"Give everyone healthcare by shutting down insurance companies" May 5, 2009 David Swanson
"Torture and treason" May 2, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"The wrong torture question" May 1, 2009 David Swanson
"The prosecution of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney" April 26, 2009 Free Press staff
"The prosecution of torturers" April 23, 2009 Free Press Editorial
"Rule of law vetoed by President Obama " April 23, 2009 Joel S. Hirschhorn
"Take heart and have courage " April 22, 2009 David Swanson
"Karl Rove still not arrested" April 20, 2009 nation.of.gandhis
"Hard times for African-American workers" April 18, 2009 Dick Meister
"Forced patriotism" April 16, 2009 Gary Baumgarten
"Geo-insanity's latest mutation" April 13, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"Changing the rules of the blame game" April 12, 2009 Bill Moyers and Michael Winship
"War casualties at home" April 10, 2009 Gary Baumgarten
"Capitalism's self-inflicted apocalypse" April 7, 2009 Michael Parenti interviewed by Jason Miller
"MoveOn is not new to supporting war" April 3, 2009 David Swanson
"Is this the best we can do?" April 2, 2009 Dan DeWalt, Charlotte Dennett, John Nirenberg and Martha Hennessy
"Happy Birthday, Cesar Chavez!" March 31, 2009 David Swanson
"Capitalist Incarnate: My interview with a vampire" March 29, 2009 Jason Miller
"Baseball: More than a man's game" March 28, 2009 Dick Meister
"Let's truly honor Cesar Chavez" March 22, 2009 Dick Meister
"A modest proposal" March 19, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"Breaking: Peace activists arrested at Pentagon" March 17, 2009 David Swanson
"Government stands in the way of financial security of small farmers: NAIS program is source of deep concern" March 16, 2009 Mark Huntress
"A New Deal for American Workers" March 14, 2009 Dick Meister
"Bill Moyers Journal: Interview with Simon Johnson" March 9, 2009 Bill Moyers
"Join a union, get fired" March 7, 2009 Dick Meister
"Oregon Plumbers Local Endorses HR 676" March 7, 2009 Kay Tillow
"Appoint a special prosecutor" March 4, 2009 David Swanson
"Kids for cash" February 24, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"Washington & Lafayette get stoned & talk marriage" February 22, 2009 "Thomas Paine"
"An RX for nurses -- and us, too" February 22, 2009 Dick Meister
"Jobs may decline, unions won't" February 20, 2009 Dick Meister
"Cross of irony" February 19, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"Coffee entrepreneur brewing trouble for George W. Bush" February 19, 2009 Stephen Pizzo
"Perriello, peace and justice" February 18, 2009 David Swanson
"What President Obama should say" February 17, 2009 Free Press Editorial
"Truth and healing" February 12, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"The problem with truth, reconciliation, and commissions" February 10, 2009 David Swanson
"Sit down! Sit down!" February 10, 2009 Dick Meister
"Abandoning torture, but what about war?" February 8, 2009 David Swanson
"... No intelligent life down here" February 8, 2009 Christopher Bifani
"Keeping the Bush era viable" February 7, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"Bolsheviks in Seattle?" February 2, 2009 Dick Meister
"New letter from Leonard Peltier: A hero’s welcome" February 2, 2009 Leonard Peltier
"Holding Rove in inherent contempt" January 27, 2009 David Swanson
"Missing the train on the recovery package" January 24, 2009 Deron Lovaas and Paul Loeb
"President Obama must free Leonard Peltier" January 23, 2009 Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"Dangerous executive orders" January 23, 2009 David Swanson
"Childish things" January 22, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"A New Day" January 21, 2009 Malcolm J.
"The shirt off my mother's back" January 20, 2009 Gabrielle Burton
"Not to remain silent" January 20, 2009 Jim Miles
"Be the peace" January 7, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"For the health of all: Camp Hope" January 5, 2009 Mike Ferner
"Bill Richardson - Kissinger-American" January 5, 2009 Greg Palast, excerpted from Armed Madhouse
"The future of civilization" January 1, 2009 Robert C. Koehler
"Camp hope holds Obama to "Change" pledge" January 1, 2009 Mike Ferner
Read Articles by Year: 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000

All content © 1970-2009 The Columbus Free Press Disclaimer |