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<h2><font size=3><b>Friday, September 11, 2009<br>
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<a href="http://freepeltiernow.blogspot.com/2009/09/call-to-action-demand-executive-review.html">
Call to Action: Demand an Executive Review of the Peltier Case</a>
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<a href="http://freepeltiernow.blogspot.com/2009/09/call-to-action-demand-executive-review.html" eudora="autourl">
http://freepeltiernow.blogspot.com/2009/09/call-to-action-demand-executive-review.html<br>
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</a>An innocent man, Leonard Peltier was wrongfully convicted in 1977 and
has served over 30 years in federal prison despite proof that he was
convicted on the basis of fabricated and suppressed evidence, as well as
coerced testimony. This is not just whimsy on the part of Peltier
supporters, as some claim. These are facts acknowledged by the courts and
even our politicians... and, yet, all have refused to take corrective
action.<br><br>
On June 23, 1995, Amnesty International submitted a letter of concern
about the Peltier case to then Attorney General Janet Reno. The world
renowned human rights organization sought but failed to obtain an
Executive Review of the case.<br><br>
On August 21, 2009, upon hearing the news that Leonard Peltier had again
been denied parole, Friends of Peltier renewed the call for an Executive
Review of the Peltier case by the U.S. Department of Justice. We want
justice... EQUAL justice... and we want it now.<br><br>
This past April, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that he had
ordered the dismissal of the indictment against former Senator Ted
Stevens on corruption charges. Stevens had been tried and found guilty,
but hadn't been sentenced; Holder's action effectively vacated Stevens'
conviction. Holder was reportedly very angry that the prosecutors had
withheld potentially exculpatory evidence from Stevens' attorneys. After
the prosecutors had been held in contempt of court for failing to turn
over required documents, Holder replaced the entire trial team. Soon
afterward, the Justice Department discovered a previously undocumented
interview with the prosecution's star witness. In the interview, the
witness gave statements that directly contradicted his testimony at
trial.<br><br>
This statement made by Stevens' attorneys is reminiscent of the Peltier
case.<br><br>
"This jury verdict was obtained unlawfully. The government
disregarded the Constitution, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure,
and well-established case law ... which require the government to reveal
to the defense all evidence that demonstrates the innocence of the
accused...The misconduct of government prosecutors, and one or more FBI
agents, was stunning. Not only did the government fail to disclose
evidence of innocence, but instead intentionally hid that evidence and
created false evidence that they provided to the defense."<br><br>
What’s the saying? If it’s true, you’re not paranoid. And what is the
truth? If it happened to Mr. Peltier, it can happen to anyone... even a
U.S. Senator.<br><br>
By nearly all accounts, Holder wanted to send a message that he would not
tolerate any behavior he deemed to be prosecutorial misconduct. The
following interview confirms those accounts. (We recommend that you watch
this video in its entirety.) <br><br>
<b>CALL TO ACTION<br><br>
</b>Join with us in calling for an Executive Review of the Peltier
case.<br><br>
Write to the Attorney General and demand an Executive Review of the
Peltier case becausehow did he put itoh, yes, because it is “the RIGHT
thing to do”.<br><br>
Also please sign the
<a href="http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Executive_Review/">online
petition</a>.<br><br>
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<dd>PETITION<br><br>
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<dd>September 12, 2009<br><br>
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<dd>Attorney General Eric Holder<br>
<dd>U.S. Department of Justice<br>
<dd>950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW<br>
<dd>Washington, DC 20530-0001<br><br>
<dd>Dear Attorney General Holder:<br><br>
<dd>Thank you for taking the necessary steps to investigate and vacate
the conviction of Senator Ted Stevens because of misconduct by federal
prosecutors. We the undersigned, in the interest of EQUAL justice, now
ask that you undertake an Executive Review of COINTELPRO-era politically
motivated cases, starting with the case of Leonard Peltier.<br><br>
<dd>In 1975, the Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with
Respect to Intelligence Activities (also known as the Church Committee)
investigated the counterintelligence activities of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) over a 25-year period. With regard to its COunter
INTELligence PROgram, or COINTELPRO, operations, the Church Committee
found the Bureau responsible for: violating and ignoring the law;
exceeding its powers with regard to domestic intelligence activity; using
excessively intrusive techniques against United States citizens; using
covert action to disrupt and discredit domestic groups; abusing
intelligence information for political purposes; and having inadequate
controls, as well as no accountability. As you know, COINTELPRO was
centrally directed and targeted a range of political dissidents and
organizations. The stated goals of COINTELPRO were to "expose,
disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize" those
persons or organizations that the FBI found objectionable, i.e., a threat
to the status quo. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the most
notable of these COINTELPRO targets.<br><br>
<dd>During the 1970s, the American Indian Movement (AIM) also was a
target of the FBI. AIM activist Leonard Peltier was wrongfully convicted
in 1977 in connection with the shooting deaths of two FBI agents and has
served over 30 years in federal prison despite proof that he was
convicted on the basis of fabricated and suppressed evidence, as well as
coerced testimony.<br><br>
<dd>The United States Courts of Appeal have repeatedly acknowledged
investigative and prosecutorial misconduct in this caseevident from the
time of Peltier's extradition from Canada to his trial and subsequent
sentencing.<br><br>
<dd>Peltier also has been denied fair consideration for parole by
unscrupulous, untruthful, and overzealous prosecutors who know parole
authorities do not consult the court record and will therefore take on
faith any false statements the prosecutors care to make.<br><br>
<dd>On June 23, 1995, Amnesty International submitted a letter of concern
about the Peltier case to then Attorney General Janet Reno. The world
renowned human rights organization sought but failed to obtain an
Executive Review of the case.<br><br>
<dd>We agree with senior deputy director of Amnesty International-USA
Curt Goering who, after the U.S. Parole Commission denied Peltier parole
in August 2009, stated: “Given that the case against Peltier unraveled
years ago, his continued imprisonment is only protracting a grave
miscarriage of justice... When you consider the concerns that plague the
case... it is unconscionable that Leonard Peltier should continue to
suffer behind bars. It is high time for the U.S. government to... right
the wrongs of the past.”<br><br>
<dd>We call on you, Mr. Holder, to conduct an Executive Review of the
Peltier case without delay, one that addresses:<br><br>
<dd>--> FBI agents' use of improper techniques or coercive tactics, as
well as fabricated evidence;<br><br>
<dd>--> FBI laboratory personnel's use of poor scientific techniques,
mishandling of evidence, provision of skewed or completely false
testimony to support prosecution claims, or providing fabricated
evidence; and<br><br>
<dd>--> prosecutorial misconduct such as courtroom misconduct;
mishandling of physical evidence (hiding, destroying, and/or tampering
with evidence, case files or court records); failing to disclose
exculpatory evidence; threatening, badgering, and/or tampering with
witnesses; and using false or misleading evidence.<br><br>
<dd>This review also should include examination of post-conviction
actions on the part of FBI officials and agents, as well as prosecutors,
to prevent fair consideration of Peltier's applications for parole and
Executive Clemency.<br><br>
<dd>It is long past time to rectify an immense and evident injustice. The
politically-motivated prosecution of Leonard Peltier is an abuse of power
at least as troubling as that in Senator Stevens' case.<br><br>
<dd>Conduct an Executive Review of the Peltier case now. Only through
such honorable action, which is wholly in your power, can we be sure that
justice will, at last, be done.<br><br>
<br><br>
</dl>Friends of Peltier<br>
Time to set him free... Because it's the RIGHT thing to do.<br>
<a href="http://www.freepeltiernow.org/">www.FreePeltierNow.org</a>
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