Da: "adwoa2000"
Oggetto: URGENT APPEAL - Leonard Peltier
Data: mercoledì 13 febbraio 2002 8.55
FORWARD WIDELY
URGENT ACTION!
PRESS THE GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE PELTIER CASE!
Friends,
The House Government Reform Committee is holding hearings on FBI
misconduct relating to wrongful convictions. The hearings were
prompted by the release of two Boston men who were framed by the FBI
and held wrongfully in prison for more than 32 years. Their two co-
defendants, also innocent, died in prison. Congressman Burton, who
chairs the committee, said on 60 Minutes recently that he will be
looking into other cases. Let's let him know about Leonard Peltier!
Write, and ask your friends, family, and neighbors to write letters
now. Below is a sample letter which you are welcome to use.
Thank you.
In Solidarity,
LPDC
Honorable Dan Burton
Chairman, Government Reform Committee
2157 Rayburn House Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Congressman Burton,
Recently you spoke out about the case of James Salvati, who was
imprisoned for 32 years for a crime the FBI knew he did not commit.
This is a terrible miscarriage of justice and I am grateful that you
will be pressing for further investigations regarding this and other
injustices of a similar nature.
I would like to bring your attention to a case remarkably similar to
that of Mr. Salvati's: the case of American Indian Movement activist,
Leonard Peltier. Leonard Peltier has been imprisoned for 26 years,
following his highly controversial conviction of the 1975 murders of
two FBI agents. Amnesty International, the Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
and Coretta Scott King, amongst many other human rights leaders,
consider Mr. Peltier a political prisoner and have called for his
immediate release.
During Mr. Peltier's trial, the FBI and U.S. Prosecutors emphatically
swore that every FBI document had been handed over to the defense.
Yet, a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit would force the release of
over 12,000 FBI documents that had in fact been withheld. Had the
jury been able to consider this evidence at trial, Mr. Peltier would
undoubtedly be free.
Among the documents was a formerly concealed ballistic test, which
proved that the fatal bullets could not have come from the gun tied
to Mr. Peltier at trial. The exposure of the test prompted the U.S.
Prosecutor to admit during subsequent oral arguments, "we can't prove
who shot those agents".
The Eighth Circuit found that "There is a possibility that the jury
would have acquitted Leonard Peltier had the records and data
improperly withheld from the defense been available to him in order
to better exploit and reinforce the inconsistencies casting strong
doubts upon the government's case." Yet, a new trial was denied.
Judge Heaney, who authored the denial now supports Mr. Peltier's
release, stating that the FBI used improper tactics to gain Mr.
Peltier's conviction.
Moreover, the FBI continues to withhold over 6000 documents
pertaining to the Peltier case today. We are convinced that these
files contain even more critical information. We also note that Mr.
Peltier's conviction is deeply rooted in a three year period of
intense political violence on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
During this period, the FBI cooperated with a brutal tribal chairman
and his hired vigilantes who sought to rid the reservation of
American Indian Movement (AIM) activity and sentiment. More
than 60 traditional tribal members and AIM activists were murdered and
scores more were assaulted or otherwise terrorized.
Given all of the above, I am asking you to include the Peltier case
in your investigations. We also request the subpoena of the 6000 FBI
documents that remain secret. Thank you for your time and
consideration to this matter and we hope your efforts to bring about
accountability in the Salvati case are
successful.
Sincerely,
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
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