Leonard Peltier, a 72-year-old Native American activist, was granted clemency by President Joe Biden and released from a federal prison on Sep. 7, 2021, after spending 46 years behind bars for a 1977 crime committed during a period of violent upheaval on a South Dakota reservation. He became a symbol of indigenous inequality and unfair prosecution for many of his supporters. The case against him was transferred between courts and judges, lengthy appeals never resulted in a conviction, and the one juror who sought to acquit him was removed by the judge. While he has always maintained his innocence, the legal system failed to exonerate him, and Peltier was seen by advocates as a potential candidate for clemency. Following earlier clemency recommendations from review boards, federal judges, and former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, Peltier stated that he hopes to “continue to inspire all people to work for a more peaceful and righteous world.”
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