Human rights expert welcomes clemency for Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier

This article is published in association with United Nations.

The UN independent expert on the rights of Indigenous Peoples on Thursday welcomed the decision by outgoing US President Joe Biden to grant clemency to Leonard Peltier, an Indigenous leader who has spent nearly 50 years in prison under controversial circumstances.

The Executive Grant of Clemency, signed on Sunday just hours before Mr. Biden left office, commutes Mr. Peltier’s life sentences to home confinement, allowing him to receive proper medical care and reconnect with his community, the Special Rapporteur said in a statement.

The Human Rights Council-appointed expert Albert Barume praised the decision, describing it as “an important gesture by the United States toward the country’s Indigenous Peoples”.

Decades of advocacy

Mr. Peltier is a member of the Chippewa and Lakota Nations, who was convicted of murder in 1977, in connection with the deaths of two FBI agents during a confrontation with Indigenous activists at Pine Ridge reservation. He received two life sentences following his trial after being extradited to the US from Canada in December 1976.

“Over the years, Mr. Peltier has maintained his innocence, and concerns have been raised about the fairness of his trial and about his legal representation,” the Special Rapporteur said.

His trial raised serious concerns about due process, with international human rights bodies, including the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, calling for his release.

In its 2022 findings, the UN Working Group determined that Mr. Peltier’s detention constituted arbitrary imprisonment.

Previous UN Special Rapporteurs, including a 2012 report on Indigenous rights in the US, had called for clemency for Mr. Peltier, framing his case as emblematic of the systemic injustices faced by Native Americans.

“Mr. Peltier has also suffered from serious health conditions, which prison authorities have been unable to properly address,” Mr. Barume noted.

Step toward reconciliation

“Although this clemency cannot restore the decades of life he has lost, it provides an opportunity for him to receive proper medical care and reconnect with his People,” said the independent expert.

Mr. Barume underscored that while the clemency decision does not absolve Mr. Peltier’s conviction, it represents a critical acknowledgment of past wrongs.

“States have a duty to ensure due process for all defendants at every stage of criminal proceedings, including parole hearings, as required by international law”, he said.

The decision also aligns with broader calls for reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in the US, including addressing historical injustices such as forced removals, cultural erasure and disproportionate incarceration rates.

Mr. Peltier’s early life reflects this history: forcibly removed from his family at age nine and placed in a government-run boarding school, he endured the systemic severance of Indigenous children from their culture.

His case has since becomea symbol of the need for justice and reconciliation.

Looking ahead

While Mr. Peltier’s clemency has been celebrated by advocates, it also underscores the need for continued reforms to ensure fairness and equity in the US justice system.

The decision “highlights the importance of addressing systemic issues within the criminal justice system, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their background, are afforded their fundamental rights”, Mr. Barume affirmed.

As Mr. Peltier transitions to home confinement, the Special Rapporteur called for the clemency decision to be a turning point in efforts to address historical and ongoing injustices.

Special Rapporteurs and other independent rights experts are not UN staff, receive no salary and are independent of any government or organization.