LEONARD PELTIER: URGENT ACTION -AND OTHER UPDATES
--June 2002
Leonard Peltier has for over a year now been quietly enduring a BONE SPUR in his heel. He has sought treatment for this painful condition, yet none of the remedies offered by the federal US Bureau of Prisons has worked. Bone spurs occur when muscle tension in the foot pulls a bone out of place. The condition is worsened by poor-quality footwear and by stressing the foot. In Leonard's case, after a cortisone shot over a year ago had no effect, he was given low quality foam inserts. A second cortisone shot more recently also had no effect.
Leonard is forced to work at the UNICOR factory, the federal prison labor operation that produces a vast array of goods for sale to US government agencies. In the Leavenworth UNICOR furniture factory, Leonard must stand on his feet all day, which causes severe pain. When he asked for transfer to a position that did not cause him pain, he was told that he would stay where he was for six more years. The prison clinician has recommended a simple surgical procedure to correct the bone spur, but the Bureau of Prisons medical facility in Springfield, Missouri has denied the request, and the Leavenworth warden has denied a request for treatment at a Kansas City hospital that regularly treats Leavenworth inmates. Leonard seeks immediately special gel-foam inserts for his shoe and the necessary surgery to correct the bone spur.
The LPDC asks that you call, fax, email or write:
Kathleen Hawk Sawyer,
Director, Bureau Of Prisons,
320 First St. NW, Washington, DC 20534,
202-307-3198,
fax; 202-514-6878;
e-mail; khawk@bop.gov .Also contact Capt. Newton E. Kendig II, Medical Director
H ealth Services Division, Bureau of Prisons
at 202-307-3055
Fax: 202-307-0826
Email: nkendig@bop.govDemand immediately at least the level of care recommended by their own clinician in Leavenworth to the painful bone spur that is currently causing suffering to Leonard Peltier, USPL #89637-132. Send a copy of your letter to the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations complaint@jcaho.org , Fax: (630) 792-5636
(It should be noted the June 26th is also the United Nations' International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. An excerpt from today's statement from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reads as follows:
"The optional protocol is designed to assist States parties in implementing their obligation under the Convention to prevent torture by providing for the establishment of effective international and national mechanisms for visiting places where persons are or may be deprived of their liberty. Visits to such places by independent multidisciplinary teams of experts have proved to be a very effective way to prevent treatment of detainees that violates international standards." See http://www.unhchr.ch )
2. The LPDC has received an historic release of declassified FBI documents
Thanks to the persistence of supporters and ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) legal activity on Leonard's behalf, the FBI released eleven boxes of documents from their headquarters in Washington, DC. The documents were first released to the office of US Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), who wrote to the FBI regarding the documents after he received hundreds of letters from constituents on the issue. These documents will be digitized with a state-of-the-art system that the LPDC is in the process of acquiring, which will allow thorough searching, indexing and cross-referencing. These documents will be analyzed by a team of experts including attorneys Bruce Ellison, of the original Wounded Knee Legal Defense/Offense Committee and Jennifer Harbury, among others.
While these documents represent the extent of what the FBI claims it had in their headquarters, there are still many more documents in the 56 field offices. The Minneapolis field office reports 42,000 pages in Leonard's file, and an FBI agent assigned to FOIA issues in Washington says the volume may near 100,000 pages. The goal is to vigorously pursue full declassification of all the documents, which will likely involve legal challenges to delays in release and to the extent of redactions, or "blacking out" of information. Check our website for updates and sample documents as they become available, http://www.freepeltier.org
3. 27th Anniversary of Incident at Oglala
Wednesday, June 26th, 2002 marks the 27th anniversary of the tragic shootout in Oglala that left FBI agents Coler and Williams and AIM activist Joe Killsright Stuntz dead. On the 25th anniversary, in the summer of 2000, people gathered at the Jumping Bull property to mark the date with ceremony and prayer in pursuit of reconciliation and healing. This year, with the same ends in mind, people will be directing their attention at the FBI, its history of suppressing dissent and violating citizens' Constitutional rights, and recent revelations of investigatory misconduct that has caused the wrongful conviction and incarceration of many.
A large rally is expected in Boston, where Leonard's second-eldest daughter, Marquetta Shields, will read Leonard's statement, joined by LPDC Board Members Glenn Marshall and Kenarahdiyoh, Jean Day, AIM member and survivor of the Pine Ridge Reign of Terror, and others. In New York City, a rally will be held at City Hall, to support City Council member Charles Barron's resolution #344 calling for the release of political prisoners in New York State. Kathleen Cleaver will be speaking on behalf of Leonard there. On the Pine Ridge Reservation, there will be a Prayer ceremony for the people at the gravesites of Joe Stuntz, Anna Mae Aquash, and Wallace Little Jr., followed by a walk to the Jumping Bull property, a press conference, and a concert in the town of Pine Ridge. Bruce Ellison will be speaking in San Francisco on the 26th and in Berkeley on the 27th, while in Houston, Leonard 's grandson Cyrus will speak, joined by Standing Deer, who readers of Peter Matthiessen's "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse" will recall is the fellow inmate who was recruited by the authorities to execute Leonard but ultimately blew the whistle on the plan. There are also events planned for Portland, Oregon, San Diego, Carbondale, Illinois, and Denver and in Europe in London, Paris and Brussells. Information on all these events can be found on our homepage, http://www.freepeltier.org
Standing Deer, Cyrus Peltier and others will be on Pacifica Radio's KPFT 90.1FM in Houston on the 26th, from starting just after 11 AM Central Time and running until 1 PM. You can listen live over the web by going to http://www.kpft.org and following instructions.
4. Leonard Peltier's interim parole hearing delayed until July 9th - There is still time to send letters of support!
Leonard was told by authorities at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary that his interim parole hearing, scheduled originally for July 1st, will now be held on July 9th. Thousands of letters of support have been received, and will be delivered together at the hearing, so Leonard will see for himself the mass of support for his release. While there are inherent problems with the parole system that leave many close to Leonard's case skeptical as to the possibility of a favorable outcome, we still need to make a strong showing to let the authorities know that people are still working globally for Leonard's release. The repeated denial of parole is being addressed separately in a Habeas Corpus suit that was filed in 1999 and is currently pending.
A sample parole hearing letter is posted on our website, at http://ww.freepeltier.org . We ask people to use it as is or modify it, or write an original letter, and send it to us at LPDC, PO Box 583, Lawrence, KS 66044, fax to 785-842-5796 or email it to lpdc@freepeltier.org You may also send a copy along to your member of Congress. Thanks for your efforts in this drive for parole support letters. There are some who insist Leonard stay behind bars, and our voices must be loud, clear and overwhelming.
PLEASE take part in the URGENT ACTION to help Leonard get the medical treatment he needs and deserves. If you did not get this email directly from the LPDC, consider signing up directly for our email update list. See http://www.freepeltier.org/e_mail.htm for details. THANK YOU!
In Solidarity,
LPDC
Until Freedom Is Won!
The New Peltier Justice Campaign
Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
PO Box 583
Lawrence, KS 66044
785-842-5774
www.freepeltier.org
International Action Center
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