WORLD RENOWNED HUMANITARIANS MET WITH PELTIER IN PRISON
February 18, 2000
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, along with Amnesty International and attorney Jennifer Harbury, met with Native American Leonard Peltier in prison today. Rigoberta Menchu Tum is a Mayan citizen of Guatemala whose work for human rights and equality for Indigenous peoples has won her world acclaim and recognition. She has traveled to the United States from Guatemala both to urge US government officials to release Mr. Peltier and to meet with Mr. Peltier in person. "Leonard Peltier’s resistance is an example for all Indigenous Peoples," said Sra. Menchu, "as long as he is not free, none of us can be free."
Rigoberta Menchu Tum told Leonard Peltier that she would be including his case and the Pine Ridge "reign of terror" from which his case stems, in her new program for Universal Justice. Part of the focus of this program will be to stop those responsible for human rights atrocities from receiving impunity. This relates to the Pine Ridge Reservation because 64 traditionalists and American Indian Movement members were murdered, and over 300 more were brutalized between 1973 and 1976. Despite an overwhelming FBI presence on the reservation, none of these crimes were ever investigated, and in fact, evidence points to the FBI’s direct involvement and intentional complicity in the crimes. It was in this climate that the 1975 shoot out on the reservation, which led to Mr. Peltier’s incarceration, occurred. Leonard Peltier praised Rigoberta Menchu Tum’s efforts stating that, "Racism against Native peoples is still alive and strong. When our people are murdered, no one cares, and yet when the agents were killed, someone had to pay, even if they were innocent. No stronger and more blatant statement can be made that justice for Native Peoples is not yet a reality in the United States when this can still occur. Something must be done."
Curt Goering, Senior Deputy Executive Director of Amnesty International, also attended the meeting. Amnesty International considers Leonard Peltier to be a political prisoner who should be immediately released. Mr. Goering met with Mr. Peltier to find out what more Amnesty International could do to support his freedom effort. "One possibility we discussed," said Goering, "is that Amnesty International could request the opportunity to attend and testify at the parole hearing on Leonard’s behalf." Leonard Peltier is long overdue for parole and will undergo an interim parole review hearing this May. Mr. Peltier is currently suing the Parole Commission for using discriminatory, erroneous, and capricious reasoning for denying his release.
February 6 marked Mr. Peltier’s 24th year in prison for the murder of two FBI agents. When faced with formerly withheld evidence on appeal casting serious doubt on Mr. Peltier’s guilt, the prosecution admitted that they could not prove who killed the agents. The appeal was denied on a technicality and the judge would later recommend Mr. Peltier be released through executive clemency. Despite this, Mr. Peltier remains in prison, thus expanding his notoriety as a symbol of injustice against Indigenous Peoples.
CONTACT: The Leonard Peltier Defense Committee Gina Chiala, co-coordinator 785-842-5774
Call the White House Comments Line Today Demand Justice for Leonard Peltier! 202-456-1111
Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
PO Box 583 Lawrence, KS 66044
785-842-5774 www.freepeltier.org
