>From: "LPDC" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > >(February 18, 2000) > >WORLD RENOWNED HUMANITARIANS MET WITH PELTIER IN PRISON > >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 >To subscribe, send a blank message to < [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To unsubscribe, send a blank message to < [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To change your email address, send a message to < [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> with your old address in the Subject line > > > >------------------------------------------------------------------------- >To subscribe, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To unsubscribe, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To change your email address, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with your old address in the Subject: line > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
