Leonard Peltier’s parole has been denied, but all hope is not lost.

Leonard Peltier is the longest-serving political prisoner in U.S. history, serving two life sentences in a maximum-security federal prison for a conviction based on coerced confessions (which were later recanted) and lack of evidence, which would not hold up in court today.

His co-defendants, the men principally charged with murdering FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation in South Dakota in 1975, were found not guilty on grounds of self-defense. Yet, 49 years later, at the age of 79, Mr. Peltier is still in prison.

Before the hearing on June 10th, we sent more than 30,000 direct messages to the Parole Commission and made hundreds of calls asking for his immediate release. Sadly, the commission did not listen to our voices and the denial of parole was announced on Tuesday.

Mr. Peltier can still be freed.

President Biden can pardon Leonard Peltier and free him. We have already begun organizing that campaign with allies and will be able to give all of us the ability to take action and continue to push for Mr. Peltier’s release, likely as soon as next week.

But today, we can do something almost as important. We can tell Leonard not to give up. We can tell him that WE will not give up. Today -- when a majority celebrate the ideals of freedom and democracy -- we can use this day to tell Leonard that we will not stop fighting for a multi-racial democracy where his freedom is achieved.

Please sign on -- and add your own short personal message if you wish -- now.

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