April 17, 2026

Hirono seeks commutation for Native American activist

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U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono is asking Pres. Joe Biden to commute the consecutive life sentences of Native American activist Leonard Peltier, whose case involving the 1975 shooting deaths of two FBI agents has been hotly debated for decades.


What You Need To Know

    • Peltier was arrested with two other men in connection with a shootout at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota that resulted in the deaths of FBI agents
    • The key witness in the case recanted the three affidavits on which the case was largely built, claiming that she had been coerced by the FBI
    • Peltier was a member of the American Indian Movement, which advocated for the rights of Native Americans and protested against racism and police brutality directed at Native Americans
  • A U.S. attorney who supervised part of the prosecution effort later said Peltier’s trial was “unjust”

“Mr. Peltier, a Native American activist, has been imprisoned for 46 years based on a conviction that was the result of constitutional violations and prosecutorial misconduct,”  Hirono stated in a letter to Biden. “He is now 77 years old and suffers from a number of serious medical conditions. Commuting Mr. Peltier’s sentence and releasing him to return to his home and family would finally correct this unjust sentence and end this grave injustice.”

FULL STORY

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