OntheWilderSide

From: contact at whoisleonardpeltier dot info
URGENT ALERT! Leonard Peltiers safety is in jeopardy!
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:20:21 -0800 (PST)

I am so OUTRAGED!

My brother Leonard was severely beaten upon his arrival at the Canaan Federal Penitentiary. When he went into population after his transfer, some inmates assaulted him. The
severity of his injuries is that he suffered numerous blows to his
head and body, receiving a large bump on his head, possibly a
concussion, and numerous bruises. Also, one of his fingers is swollen
and discolored and he has pain in his chest and ribcage. There was
blood everywhere from his injuries.
We feel that prison authorities at the prompting of the FBI
orchestrated this attack and thus, we are greatly concerned about his
safety. It may be that the attackers, whom Leonard did not even know,
were offered reduced sentences for carrying out this heinous assault.
Since Leonard is up for parole soon, this could be a conspiracy to
discredit a model prisoner.

He was placed in solitary confinement and only given one meal, this
is generally done when you won’t name your attackers; incidentally
being only given one meal seriously jeopardizes his health because of
his diabetes. Prison officials refuse to release any info to the
family, but they need to hear from his supporters to protect his
safety, as does President Obama. His attorneys are trying to get
calls into him now.

This attack on LP comes on the heels of the FBI’s recent letter,
prompting this attack by FBI supporters as an attempt to discredit LP
as a model prisoner. Anyone who has been in the prison system knows
well that if you refuse to name your attackers or file charges
against them, then you lose your status as a victim and/or given
points against your possible parole and labeled as a perpetrator.

It is not uncommon, in fact is quite common for the government to use
Indian against Indian and they still operate under the old adage “it
takes an Indian to catch an Indian”. In 1978, they made an attempt to
assassinate him through another Indian man who was also at Marion
prison with LP. But Standing Deer chose to reveal the plot to him
instead of taking his life in exchange FOR A CHANCE AT FREEDOM. When
Standing Deer was released in 2001, he joined the former Leonard
Peltier Defense Committee as a board member. He also began to speak
on Leonard’s behalf until his murder six years ago today. Prior to
his murder, Standing Deer confided with close friends and associates
that the same man who visited him in Marion to assassinate Peltier,
had came to Houston, TX and told him that he had better stay away
from Peltier and anything to do with him.

We are aware that currently, the FBI is actively seeking support for
his continued imprisonment of Leonard Peltier and also also seeking
support from Native People. So please be aware, and keep Leonard in
your prayers. The FBI is apparently afraid of the impact we are
having. If they will set him up to blemish his record just before a
parole hearing, what will they do when it looks like his freedom will
become a reality? We need to make sure that nothing happens to him again!

Please write the President, send it priority or registered mail.
Email to Change.gov or email President Obama. Call your congressional
representatives and write letters, not email, to them. Do what you
can to get the word out to insure that LP is receiving adequate
medical attention for his injuries.

I am asking you, supporters of Leonard and advocates of justice at
this time to help. I don’t know what else to do. Please Help!

Thank you
Betty Peltier-Solano
Executive Coordinator
Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee

Also call and request Leonard be treated with dignity and respect.
Canaan Federal Prison
570-488-8000

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Free Leonard Peltier — “Amnesty International considers Leonard
Peltier to be a political prisoner whose avenues of redress have long
been exhausted….Amnesty International recognizes that a retrial is
no longer a feasible option and believes that Leonard Peltier should
be immediately and unconditionally released.” Documents show that
although the prosecution and government pointed the finger at Peltier
for shooting FBI agents at close range during the trial in 1976, for
three years the prosecution withheld critical ballistic test results
proving that the fatal bullets could not have come from the gun tied
to Leonard Peltier. This trial also denied evidence of self defense.

The U.S. Prosecutor, during subsequent oral arguments, stated: “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.

A good way to
learn about Leonard Peltier is to read his book:

Prison Writings: My
Life Is My Sun Dance. For excerpts, see the following link, under
article by Louise Erdich:
<http://www.flybynews.com/cgi-local/newspro/viewnews.cgi?newsid978364686,
28469,m>Time
for Human Rights on Native Ground. This
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5iTvAnSkDw>YouTube of Leonard
reading his own words to music and photos is really beautiful. For
more resources:
<http://www.flybynews.com/cgi-local/newspro/viewnews.cgi?newsid1013207483
,22139,>Free
Leonard Peltier!
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