BERKELEY FIRST CITY TO SUPPORT PAROLE FOR PELTIER

BERKELEY FIRST CITY TO SUPPORT PAROLE FOR PELTIER

On July 14, 2009, the Berkeley City Council passed a resolution that encouraged the United States Parole Commission to grant current inmate Leonard Peltier parole at his upcoming hearing on July 28, 2009.

Mr. Peltier is a Chippewa-Lakota Native American who was wrongfully convicted of killing two FBI agents during a massive firefight on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota on June 26, 1975.

The United States government now admits that the affidavits used to arrest and extradite Mr. Peltier were falsified, that witnesses were coerced, evidence fabricated, and exculpatory evidence withheld in violation of his Constitutional rights. Federal prosecutor Lynn Cook has even noticeably admitted, “We can’t prove who shot those agents”.

In addition to the concerns surrounding this case, Mr. Peltier has been a model prisoner throughout his prison sentence, receiving excellent evaluations from his work supervisors on a regular basis.

The Berkeley City Council ended its letter by calling on the Parole Commission to grant Leonard Peltier parole so that he may “live out his remaining days with his loved ones”.


“Berkeley’s continued support for political prisoner Leonard Peltier is commendable and echoes the support previously given by 18 members of Congress who wrote a letter to the U.S. Attorney General raising questions about ‘abuse of the investigative process’ in the FBI and ‘due process’ in the legal case of Leonard Peltier.”
- Wendy Kenin, Vice Chair of the Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission

“Leonard Peltier was defamed, blamed, and framed. He deserves parole today.”
- Kriss Worthington, Berkeley City Council Member

“On behalf of Leonard Peltier I am appealing to you, as people around the world are appealing to you […] he was 32 when he went to prison. He’s 64 now. He’s a grandfather; he’s a great grandfather. He wants to come out with his shoes off and go to pow wows.”
- Tony Gonzales, Director- American Indian Movement-WEST


Contact Information
Council Member Kriss Worthington: 510-981-7170, kworthington@ci.berkeley.ca.us
Wendy Kenin: wendyy@prodigy.net
Tony Gonzales: 415-577-1492
Steven Ashlock: 707-953-6984