FARGO, ND (trfnews.i234.me) — President Joe Biden has commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, an Indigenous activist convicted in the 1975 deaths of two FBI agents during a standoff on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
Peltier, now 80 years old, will serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement in North Dakota.
Peltier, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, has been incarcerated for nearly five decades. His conviction has been a subject of controversy, with supporters arguing that he was unjustly convicted amid a climate of heightened tensions between federal authorities and Indigenous activists. Advocacy groups, including Amnesty International, have long campaigned for his release, citing concerns over the fairness of his trial and the legitimacy of the evidence presented against him.
In a statement, President Biden noted Peltier’s advanced age and declining health as factors influencing the decision to commute his sentence. The President emphasized that Peltier will remain under supervision for the duration of his sentence, which will now be served in home confinement.
The commutation has elicited mixed reactions. Supporters view it as a long-overdue act of justice for a man they believe was wrongfully imprisoned. Conversely, some law enforcement officials and relatives of the deceased agents have expressed disappointment, maintaining that Peltier was duly convicted for his role in the agents’ deaths.
Peltier’s family in Fargo, North Dakota, has expressed relief and anticipation at the prospect of his return. Plans are underway to welcome him back to the Turtle Mountain Reservation, where he will reside under home confinement.
I’m Chris Harper, reporting for trfnews.i234.me