Almost 50 years ago a Native American activist, Leonard Peltier, was tried and convicted of killing two F.B.I agents at the Pine Ridge Reservation. Many observers did not think he received a fair trial and should not have been convicted.
He is now 79. He has had Covid multiple times, a stroke, and an aortic aneurysm. Native American activists have been calling for his release for decades. His supporters have included the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, former members of the prosecution, and even the judge who sentenced him.
The F.B.I. is believed to have coerced witnesses, and the prosecution withheld exculpatory evidence.
A month ago the U.S. Parole Commission denied Mr. Peltier a parole. The F.B.I. will not admit any wrong-doing. Of course it won’t.
Information for this article came from Rachel Nostrant, “Parole Denied for Native American Activist Convicted in 1975 Killing,” New York Times, (July 3, 2024), p. A20. The cynicism is all my own.
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