Peltier's freedom denied

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A motion that might have brought freedom for jailed Indian rights activist Leonard Peltier died here on the floor of Parliament, shortly after 6:00 p.m. EDST, last Thursday.

The motion, Bill M-28 depored the extradition of Peltier to the United States from Canada in 1976 "on the basis of faslse information filed with a Canadian court by American authorities" and says that the government should "seek the return of Mr. Peltier to Canada and the annulment of all extradition proceedings in this regard."

The bill, moved by NDP Justice critic Jim Fulton, had support of member of all three parties in the House of Commons, but died when members on the government side of the House refused to let the matter come to a vote.

In support of Fulton's bill and Peltier's freedom, members of the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee set up a vigil on Parliament Hill, running from dawn on April 7 until the bill died on the afternoon of April 9.

Peltier, who was arrested 11 years ago in Hinton, is now serving two life sentences at Leavenworth, Kansas for the murder of two FBI agents killed during the American government occupation of Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

Peltier's case has been taken up by groups around the world including Amnesty International, the American National Association of Criminal Defence Lawyers, 60 Members of Parliament (who have asked for a new trial for the American Indian Movement leader) and 55 members of the U.S. Congress.

In the words of American congressman Don Edwards, chairman of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights, evidence in the case clearly indicated "government abuse of the investigation process, suppression of evidence and falsehood."