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The Office of the Pardon Attorney has announced President Obama has denied clemency to imprisoned Native American activist Leonard Peltier. Peltier is a former member of the American Indian Movement who was convicted of killing two FBI agents during a shootout on South Dakotas Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975. He has long maintained his innocence.

Amnesty International condemned the decision.

We are deeply saddened by the news that President Obama will not let Leonard go home, said Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA. Despite serious concerns about the fairness of legal proceedings that led to his trial and conviction, Peltier was imprisoned for more than 40 years. He has always maintained his innocence. The families of the FBI agents who were killed during the 1975 confrontation between the FBI and American Indian Movement (AIM) members have a right to justice, but justice will not be served by Peltiers continued imprisonment.

Peltiers attorney Martin Garbus appeared on Democracy Now! today.

"I think its fair to say that if he doesnt get commuted by President Obama, hell die in jail. Hes a very sick man," Garbus said. "So, Obamas not granting him clemency is like a sentence of death. Trump aint going to do it. And hes very sick, and hes not going to live past that time. I dont want to be negative, but thats the reality. Hes very sick, and hes been in prison over 40 years, hard years, six years of solitary."

Garbus was notified of Obamas decision earlier today. In an email, the Office of the Pardon Attorney wrote: "The application for commutation of sentence of your client, Mr. Leonard Peltier, was carefully considered in this Department and the White House, and the decision was reached that favorable action is not warranted. Your clients application was therefore denied by the President on January 18, 2017... Under the Constitution, there is no appeal from this decision."

See our full coverage on Leonard Peltier

Link:
Breaking: Leonard Peltier Denied Clemency by Obama - Democracy Now!