[Nonviolenza] La biblioteca di Zorobabele. 650

[Centro di ricerca per la pace Centro di ricerca per la pace <centropacevt at gmail.com>]

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LA BIBLIOTECA DI ZOROBABELE
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Segnalazioni librarie e letture nonviolente
a cura del "Centro di ricerca per la pace, i diritti umani e la difesa della biosfera" di Viterbo
Supplemento a "La nonviolenza e' in cammino" (anno XXIII)
Direttore responsabile: Peppe Sini. Redazione: strada S. Barbara 9/E, 01100 Viterbo, tel. 0761353532, e-mail: centropacevt at gmail.com
Numero 650 del 6 dicembre 2022

In questo numero:
1. Opporsi alla guerra, agli eserciti, alle armi: siamo una sola umanita', ogni essere umano ha diritto alla vita, salvare le vite e' il primo dovere
2. Guido Caldiron intervista Sergej Bondarenko
3. Associazione "Respirare" di Viterbo: Scriviamo al Presidente degli Stati Uniti d'America per chiedere la grazia per Leonard Peltier
4. Jennifer Bendery: 7 Senators Urge Biden To Grant Clemency To Leonard Peltier
5. Lettera di sette senatori statunitensi al Presidente Biden per la grazia a Leonard Peltier
6. Jennifer Bendery: Hundreds Of Indigenous Artists, Hollywood Stars Urge Biden To Release Leonard Peltier
7. Letter to President Joe Biden In Support of Clemency for Leonard Peltier. Led by Indigenous Members of the Entertainment & Fashion Industries: Dallas Goldtooth, Jana Schmieding, Bird Runningwater, Sierra Teller Ornelas, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Bethany Yellowtail
8. Amnesty International Group 30: Free Leonard Peltier Social Media Action

1. L'ORA. OPPORSI ALLA GUERRA, AGLI ESERCITI, ALLE ARMI: SIAMO UNA SOLA UMANITA', OGNI ESSERE UMANO HA DIRITTO ALLA VITA, SALVARE LE VITE E' IL PRIMO DOVERE

Ogni vittima ha il volto di Abele.
Occorre abolire la guerra, gli eserciti, le armi, prima che la guerra, gli eserciti, le armi distruggano l'intera umanita'.
Salvare le vite e' il primo dovere.
*
Solo la nonviolenza si oppone a tutte le guerre, a tutte le stragi, a tutte le uccisioni.
Solo la nonviolenza si oppone a tutte le guerre, a tutti gli eserciti, a tutte le armi.
Solo la nonviolenza puo' salvare l'umanita' dalla catastrofe.

2. TESTIMONI. GUIDO CALDIRON INTERVISTA SERGEJ BONDARENKO
[Dal quotidiano "Il manifesto" riprendiamo e diffondiamo la seguente intervista del 29 novembre 2022 dal titolo originale "Sergej Bondarenko, Memorial e le voci della resistenza russa"]

E' "l'ultima dichiarazione" che spetta agli imputati nell'aula di un tribunale, una parola libera in un Paese che non conosce piu' il pluralismo, il diritto al dissenso e all'opposizione. E che da dopo l'invasione dell'Ucraina, il 24 febbraio scorso, considera ogni voce critica alla stregua di un nemico. Da reprimere, neutralizzare, cancellare. I testi riuniti in Proteggi le mie parole in libreria da domani per e/o (a cura di Sergej Bondarenko e Giulia De Florio, prefazione di Marcello Flores, pp. 178, euro 16,50) raccontano la Russia di Putin attraverso venticinque testimonianze che, lungo gli ultimi cinque anni, tracciano l'orizzonte di una resistenza che continua pur tra mille difficolta' e rischi.
Sono le dichiarazioni pronunciate da imputate e imputati in processi politici svoltisi nel frattempo nel Paese: voci note come quelle di Aleksej Naval'nyj o dello storico Jurij Dmitriev, di una ex deputata o di un militante anarchico, ma anche di tanti uomini e donne comuni che devono rispondere di una protesta di strada, di un cartello contro la guerra agitato sulla pubblica via. Come gli scritti raccolti nei samizdat dell'epoca del dissenso al regime sovietico, si tratta di testimonianze di prima mano di cio' che le autorita' e il potere putiniano negano o cercano di rendere invisibile: la violenza, la repressione, la censura, la stessa guerra in Ucraina. Uno scenario che si intreccia non a caso al tentativo di controllare il passato della storia russa, rimuovere i crimini staliniani e le ombre che continuano a proiettare sul presente. Come segnala Sergej Bondarenko, classe 1985, uno degli storici dell'associazione Memorial, sorta negli anni Ottanta su iniziativa dell'ex dissidente Andrej Sacharov per documentare l'orrore dei gulag e delle persecuzioni politiche nell'Urss, che il regime di Putin ha messo al bando proprio alla vigilia della guerra in Ucraina. A Memorial e' andato quest'anno il Nobel per la pace.
*
- Guido Caldiron: Nell'introduzione lei fa riferimento al passato di repressione dell'Urss e al celebre caso dei dissidenti Daniel - Sinjavskij. Nella Russia di Putin si e' tornati a quel clima, al tentativo di annichilire ogni voce libera?
- Sergej Bondarenko: Assolutamente. Anche se in realta' si potrebbe sostenere che il clima non sia mai cambiato del tutto: ne abbiamo solo conosciuto delle fasi diverse ai tempi di Eltsin o nei primi anni di Putin. Si puo' iniziare dall'idea stessa di "sistema giudiziario indipendente", che in realta' non era assolutamente tale in epoca sovietica e ne e' una sorta di parodia in questo momento. Si puo' comunque sostenere che la situazione e' peggiorata molto negli ultimi 10-12 anni del mandato di Putin. Anni nei quali, inoltre, non e' piu' presente alcuna opposizione legale in parlamento. Gia' dai primi anni 2000 l'opposizione era sotto pressione, ma almeno a quel tempo se ne vedeva un po' in tv grazie alle manifestazioni politiche che venivano organizzate. In questo momento non c'e' quasi nulla: la resistenza contro la guerra e' molto coraggiosa, ma si fa notare a malapena fuori da Internet. Le ultime parole che gli imputati possono pronunciare in tribunale diventano cosi' l'unica forma di discorso politico pubblico nella Russia di oggi.
*
- Guido Caldiron: Perche' le autorita' hanno deciso di mettere al bando Memorial, nata per documentare la repressione di epoca sovietica: nascondere i crimini del passato serve per controllare il presente e rendere possibile che tutto cio' accada ancora?
- Sergej Bondarenko: Credo si tratti di parte del processo che ho gia' cominciato a descrivere. Ancora 10 o 12 anni fa si poteva pensare che l'avvento di Putin potesse offrire qualche chance al Paese. Ora ci rendiamo conto del contrario: abbiamo conosciuto alcuni anni di speranza durante l'ultimo periodo della Perestrojka e il mandato di Eltsin e prima della guerra cecena. Dopodiche' si e' arrivati lentamente alla situazione che si vive attualmente. Per Memorial e' accaduto lo stesso: all'inizio l'associazione si occupava del passato sovietico, solo che questo si e' trasformato molto rapidamente nel nostro presente. E per certi versi, il presente e' persino peggiore dell'ultima fase sovietica: ora non abbiamo solo prigionieri politici, abbiamo omicidi politici, abbiamo la guerra. Dall'inizio degli anni '90 Memorial lavora in due diversi campi: sul piano storico e su quello della difesa dei diritti umani oggi. Solo che in questo momento tali piani sembrano coincidere: stiamo rivivendo i nostri peggiori incubi. Quindi che si sia voluto liquidare Memorial non e' cosi' sorprendente se la si guarda dal punto di vista del regime che vuole fermare tutti coloro che possono contestare pubblicamente la versione propagandistica ufficiale della guerra.
*
- Guido Caldiron: Cosa ha rappresentato per Memorial e l'attivita' che svolge il fatto che l'associazione sia stata insignita del Premio Nobel per la pace? E di questo riconoscimento che eco si e' avuta in Russia?
- Sergej Bondarenko: Non posso parlare a nome di tutti, da dopo i mesi passati in tribunale e la messa al bando dell'associazione, per me ha rappresentato un segno di vita. E la cosa piu' importante e' che non e' stata premiata solo Memorial ma tre organizzazioni attive in Ucraina, Bielorussia e Russia. Ovviamente continueremo il nostro lavoro dentro e fuori la Russia e il Nobel e' solo uno dei segnali di incoraggiamento che e' arrivato insieme ad altri. Sappiamo che la Russia non e' solo Putin e il suo governo. Con il Nobel, Memorial e' in buona compagnia, accanto a Pasternak, Solzhenitsyn, Sakharov e Muratov: anche tutti loro sono stati messi sotto pressione dal regime prima e dopo aver ricevuto il premio. Ora dobbiamo solo essere all'altezza delle aspettative.
*
- Guido Caldiron: Le dichiarazioni raccolte nel libro non contengono solo informazioni legate ai singoli casi, ma sono un'occasione per denunciare la situazione del Paese, la violenza subita dagli oppositori, la guerra. Si puo' parlare di questi testi come di voci della resistenza russa contro il regime?
- Sergej Bondarenko: Senza dubbio. Come spiegavo, lo consideriamo uno degli ultimi modi per dire qualcosa pubblicamente, in un contesto "ufficiale", che resti a verbale. L'idea che si possa parlare liberamente in un tribunale quando per altri versi tutto cio' e' completamente vietato o soggetto a censura rappresenta una sorta di problema tecnico che si verifica dentro un sistema. Del resto, e' una vecchia tattica di guerriglia quella di rivoltare il sistema contro se stesso e provare a dire qualcosa di vero usando a tal fine le contraddizioni dei meccanismi repressivi.
*
- Guido Caldiron: Gli ultimi testi sono stati raccolti nei tribunali dopo l'inizio dell'invasione dell'Ucraina: cosa e' cambiato da quel momento per la societa' russa e per coloro che si battono per la liberta' e il rispetto dei diritti umani?
- Sergej Bondarenko: L'intero sistema in cui ci muovevamo e' crollato. Siamo privati delle cose piu' semplici - non puoi dire che sei contro la guerra o pacifista (o anche che vuoi che la guerra finisca con la vittoria ucraina, qualunque cosa significhi). Molte persone hanno lasciato il Paese, per il momento con la speranza di tornare. Molti dei miei colleghi sono rimasti in Russia e continuano il loro lavoro e anch'io sto cercando di fare lo stesso: dall'inizio della guerra ho trascorso sei mesi in Germania e due in Russia. Vivo fuori dal Paese da agosto, ma quel che posso dire della Russia e' che proprio il tentativo di costruire una mobilitazione dopo il 24 febbraio ha condotto molti a rendersi conto della realta' in cui viviamo. L'elenco delle opzioni e' infatti breve: cosa puoi fare se sei contro la guerra e sei ancora in Russia?
*
- Guido Caldiron: Lei e' costretto a vivere a Berlino per poter svolgere il suo lavoro per Memorial: cosa significa operare in esilio e dopo la messa al bando dell'associazione? Infine come vede il futuro della Russia?
- Sergej Bondarenko: Ho lasciato la mia casa con uno zaino, due libri e un paio di stivali e non l'ho mai considerato come un viaggio di sola andata. Allo stesso tempo devo dire che questa e' una posizione privilegiata: molte persone in Russia non hanno modo di andarsene. Qui ho un posto dove stare con la mia famiglia. Ovviamente non e' facile, ma considerando cosa sta facendo l'esercito del nostro Paese in Ucraina in questo momento, sono al sicuro. In Russia, molti dei miei colleghi lavorano ancora per aiutare le persone a non finire nell'esercito o a lasciare il Paese o ad essere rappresentate da un legale in tribunale. La mia unica speranza e' che rimaniamo tutti relativamente sani di mente senza fermarci finche' la situazione non cambiera'.

3. REPETITA IUVANT. ASSOCIAZIONE "RESPIRARE" DI VITERBO: SCRIVIAMO AL PRESIDENTE DEGLI STATI UNITI D'AMERICA PER CHIEDERE LA GRAZIA PER LEONARD PELTIER

Alle persone di volonta' buona, ai movimenti ed alle associazioni democratiche, alle esperienze della societa' civile, alle istituzioni impegnate per i diritti umani di tutti gli esseri umani
con viva preghiera di adesione e di ulteriore diffusione
*
Vi proponiamo di scrivere al Presidente degli Stati Uniti d'America per chiedere la grazia per Leonard Peltier, l'illustre attivista nativo americano difensore dei diritti umani di tutti gli esseri umani e dell'intero mondo vivente, da 47 anni detenuto innocente dopo aver subito un processo in cui fu condannato sulla base di "prove" false e di "testimonianze" altrettanto false (gli stessi magistrati accusatori e giudicanti hanno in prosieguo di tempo riconosciuto la falsita' delle cosiddette "prove" e delle cosiddette "testimonianze"; e il pubblico ministero che ottenne allora la condanna si e' successivamente ripetutamente pubblicamente espresso per la liberazione di Leonard Peltier scrivendo accorati appelli a vari Presidenti succedutisi alla Casa Bianca).
La liberazione di Leonard Peltier, innocente, anziano e malato, e' stata richiesta da milioni di persone, tra cui personalita' come Nelson Mandela, madre Teresa di Calcutta, Desmond Tutu, Rigoberta Menchu', Shirin Ebadi, papa Francesco, il Dalai Lama.
E' stata richiesta ripetutamente anche dal Parlamento Europeo e da innumerevoli altre istituzioni e personalita' istituzionali, tra cui il compianto Presidente del Parlamento Europeo David Sassoli ed i Sindaci di vari Comuni d'Italia.
Alcuni mesi fa un'autorevole commissione giuridica ad hoc dell'Onu ha per l'ennesima volta esaminato la documentazione, constatato l'iniquita' della condanna e della detenzione di Leonard Peltier e rinnovato la richiesta della sua liberazione.
Nel settembre 2022 con un voto unanime anche il Comitato Nazionale del Partito Democratico degli Stati Uniti d'America (il partito di cui fa parte lo stesso Presidente Biden) ha chiesto che il Presidente conceda la grazia presidenziale che restituisca la liberta' a Leonard Peltier.
*
Di seguito una proposta di testo della lettera da inviare al Presidente degli Stati Uniti d'America recante la richiesta della grazia presidenziale per Leonard Peltier, e le istruzioni per inviarla attraverso il sito della Casa Bianca.
Nel web aprire la pagina della Casa Bianca attraverso cui inviare lettere: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Compilare quindi gli item successivi:
- alla voce MESSAGE TYPE: scegliere Contact the President
- alla voce PREFIX: scegliere il titolo corrispondente alla propria identita'
- alla voce FIRST NAME: scrivere il proprio nome
- alla voce SECOND NAME: si puo' omettere la compilazione
- alla voce LAST NAME: scrivere il proprio cognome
- alla voce SUFFIX, PRONOUNS: si puo' omettere la compilazione
- alla voce E-MAIL: scrivere il proprio indirizzo e-mail
- alla voce PHONE: scrivere il proprio numero di telefono seguendo lo schema 39xxxxxxxxxx
- alla voce COUNTRY/STATE/REGION: scegliere Italy
- alla voce STREET: scrivere il proprio indirizzo nella sequenza numero civico, via/piazza
- alla voce CITY: scrivere il nome della propria citta' e il relativo codice di avviamento postale
- alla voce WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY? [Cosa vorresti dire?]: copiare e incollare il messaggio seguente:
Mr. President,
Although I reside far from your country, I am aware of the injustice that has persisted for 47 years against Leonard Peltier, who was denied a review of his trial even after exculpatory evidence emerged for the events of June 26, 1975 on the Pine Ridge (SD) reservation where two federal agents and a Native American lost their lives.
I therefore appeal to your supreme authority to pardon this man, now elderly and ill, after nearly half a century of imprisonment.
I thank you in advance for your positive decision, with best regards.
*
Traduzione italiana del testo che precede:
Signor Presidente,
sebbene io risieda lontano dal Suo Paese, sono consapevole dell'ingiustizia che persiste da 47 anni nei confronti di Leonard Peltier, al quale e' stata negata la revisione del processo anche dopo che sono emerse prove a discarico per gli eventi del 26 giugno 1975 nella riserva di Pine Ridge (South Dakota) in cui persero la vita due agenti federali e un nativo americano.
Mi appello quindi alla Sua suprema autorita' affinche' conceda la grazia a questo uomo, ormai anziano e malato, dopo quasi mezzo secolo di detenzione.
La ringrazio fin d'ora per la Sua decisione positiva, con i migliori saluti.
*
l'associazione "Respirare" di Viterbo
Viterbo, 29 novembre 2022
L'associazione e' stata promossa nel 2009 a Viterbo da associazioni e movimenti ecopacifisti e nonviolenti, per il diritto alla salute e la difesa dell'ambiente.

4. REPETITA IUVANT. JENNIFER BENDERY: 7 SENATORS URGE BIDEN TO GRANT CLEMENCY TO LEONARD PELTIER
[Dal sito www.huffpost.com riprendiamo e diffondiamo il seguente articolo del 30 novembre 2022 dal titolo "7 Senators Urge Biden To Grant Clemency To Leonard Peltier" e il sommario "'The power to exercise mercy in this case lies solely within your discretion," the Democratic senators said of the long-imprisoned Indigenous rights activist"]

Seven senators on Tuesday urgently appealed to President Joe Biden to grant clemency to Leonard Peltier, the ailing 78-year-old Native American rights activist whom the U.S. government put in prison 46 years ago after a trial riddled with misconduct and racism.
"Mr. Peltier's continued imprisonment defies the promises of justice, and the power to exercise mercy in this case lies solely within your discretion," reads a letter to Biden from Democratic Sens. Brian Schatz (Hawaii), Patrick Leahy (Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Ed Markey (Mass.), Bernie Sanders (Vt.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii) and Tina Smith (Minn.).
"Mr. Peltier has spent more than half of his life behind bars," the senators said. "We commend the steps that your administration has taken to right past wrongs of our government's treatment of Native Americans, particularly through [Interior] Secretary [Deb] Haaland's leadership and her Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative. Furthermore, your administration has demonstrated a laudable commitment to upholding the core American values of liberty and justice, and rectifying inequities in the criminal justice system."
"Consistent with these actions, we urge you to grant clemency to Mr. Peltier by commuting the remainder of his sentence," they conclude.
A copy of the letter was also sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Elizabeth Oyer, the pardon attorney at the Justice Department.
Peltier is considered by many to be America's longest-serving political prisoner. He's been in prison since 1975, when the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office convicted him of murdering two FBI agents during a shootout on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
But they never had evidence that he committed a crime, and the level of misconduct that took place in his trial is baffling: Prosecutors hid exculpatory evidence. The FBI threatened and coerced witnesses into lying. All of his co-defendants were acquitted on grounds of self-defense. A juror admitted she was biased against Peltier's race on the second day of the trial but was allowed to remain on the panel.
Beyond that, his decades-long parole process has been so problematic that United Nations legal experts reviewed his case and over the summer called on Biden to release him immediately. The working group concluded in a damning 17-page legal opinion: "Mr. Peltier continues to be detained because he is Native American."
The more time that's gone by, the more people have demanded Peltier's release. Advocates for his freedom have included Native American elected officials, celebrities like Steven Van Zandt, international human rights leaders like Pope Francis and Nelson Mandela, Amnesty International, and even some of the same people who helped put him in prison in the first place.
In an extraordinary letter to Biden last year, James Reynolds, the U.S. attorney who oversaw Peltier's prosecution on appeal, wrote, "I write today from a position rare for a former prosecutor: to beseech you to commute the sentence of a man who I helped put behind bars." And the late Judge Gerald Heaney, who presided over Peltier's 1986 appeal, later called for commuting his sentence, saying his trial was unjust and "a healing process must begin."
Tuesday's letter marks the first time that some senators have publicly pressured Biden to release Peltier. Over the last year, Hirono, Leahy, Sanders and Schatz have individually urged the president to grant clemency to him. But Warren, Markey and Smith just added their names to the cause.
A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the appeal from Democratic senators or, more broadly, on whether Biden is considering clemency for Peltier.

5. REPETITA IUVANT. LETTERA DI SETTE SENATORI STATUNITENSI AL PRESIDENTE BIDEN PER LA GRAZIA A LEONARD PELTIER
[Dal sito www.huffpost.com riprendiamo e diffondiamo]

United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
November 29, 2022
*
President Joseph R. Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
*
Dear President Biden:
We write to request that you grant clemency to Native American rights activist Leonard Peltier by commuting the remainder of his sentence. Mr. Peltier has spent more than half of his life behind bars. Now, at seventy-seven years old, he suffers from numerous health conditions, including a potentially fatal abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Over the past several decades, clemency for Mr. Peltier has received sweeping support from many faith and human rights leaders, including Pope Francis, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Saint Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, and Coretta Scott King. Each have articulated the moral imperative of granting Mr. Peltier clemency.
Moreover, mounting evidence of clear misconduct has warranted outcry from the very officials who put Mr. Peltier behind bars. James H. Reynolds, the U.S. Attorney who oversaw Mr. Peltier's prosecution on appeal, stated that "the prosecution and continued incarceration of Mr. Peltier was and is unjust." (1)
The late Judge Gerald Heaney, who presided over Mr. Peltier's 1986 appeal in the Eighth Circuit, also called for the commutation of Mr. Peltier's sentence in a powerful letter that detailed the injustice of Mr. Peltier's trial and proclaimed that "a healing process must begin." (2)
We commend the steps that your administration has taken to right past wrongs of our government's treatment of Native Americans, particularly through Secretary Haaland's leadership and her Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative.
Furthermore, your administration has demonstrated a laudable commitment to upholding the core American values of liberty and justice, and rectifying inequities in the criminal justice system.
Consistent with these actions, we urge you to grant clemency to Mr. Peltier by commuting the remainder of his sentence. Mr. Peltier's continued imprisonment defies the promises of justice, and the power to exercise mercy in this case lies solely within your discretion.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Brian Schatz, United States Senator
Patrick Leahy, United States Senator
Elizabeth Warren, United States Senator
Edward J. Markey, United States Senator
Bernard Sanders, United States Senator
Mazie K. Hirono, United States Senator
Tina Smith, United States Senator
*
cc: The Honorable Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice
cc: Elizabeth G. Oyer, Pardon Attorney, Office of the Pardon Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice
*
Note
1. Jennifer Bendery, "Leonard Peltier Is America's Longest-Serving Political Prisoner. Biden May Be His Last Hope," HuffPost, 12 Nov. 2021, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/leonard-peltier-prison-clemency-biden_n_618049f3e4b059d0bfc19e5c.
2. Letter from Gerald H. Heaney, U.S. Senior Cir. Judge, 8th Cir., to Daniel K. Inouye, Chairman, U.S. Senate Select Comm. on Indian Affairs (Apr. 18, 1991), http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info/download/Heaney.pdf.

6. REPETITA IUVANT. JENNIFER BENDERY: HUNDREDS OF INDIGENOUS ARTISTS, HOLLYWOOD STARS URGE BIDEN TO RELEASE LEONARD PELTIER
[Dal sito www.huffpost.com riprendiamo e diffondiamo il seguente articolo del primo dicembre 2022 dal titolo "Hundreds Of Indigenous Artists, Hollywood Stars Urge Biden To Release Leonard Peltier" e il sommario "'Nothing is more emblematic of the mistreatment of American Indians and the uneven hand of the criminal justice system' than Peltier's imprisonment, they said"]

More than 200 Indigenous artists and Hollywood celebrities pleaded with President Joe Biden on Thursday to grant clemency to Leonard Peltier, the ailing 78-year-old Native American rights activist whom the U.S. government put in prison 47 years ago after a trial rife with misconduct, lies and racism.
"We write to you today in support of Leonard Peltier's petition for executive clemency and urge you to expeditiously commute the remainder of his sentence," reads the letter to the president led by six Indigenous actors, writers and fashion professionals. "Nothing is more emblematic of the mistreatment of American Indians and the uneven hand of the criminal justice system than the handling of his case by the federal government."
The letter, first obtained by HuffPost, warns that Peltier "is elderly and in failing health, and we fear he will not ever make it back to his homelands" at Turtle Mountain in North Dakota.
"Leonard is not only a symbol of Indigenous pride, he is also our relative. And his homecoming is imperative to our collective healing," they added.
The letter was spearheaded by Indigenous artists Dallas Goldtooth, Bird Runningwater, Jana Schmieding, Sierra Teller Ornelas, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and Bethany Yellowtail. Some of the non-Indigenous allies who signed the letter include actors and artists Mark Ruffalo, Ani DiFranco, Ed Helms, America Ferrera, Jackson Browne, Michael Moore, Bonnie Raitt, Ringo Starr, Tanya Tucker and Steven Van Zandt.
Many consider Peltier to be America's longest-serving political prisoner. He's been in prison since 1975, when the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office convicted him of murdering two FBI agents during a shootout on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
But the U.S. government never had evidence that Peltier committed a crime, and the level of misconduct that went on in his trial is baffling: Prosecutors hid exculpatory evidence. The FBI threatened and coerced witnesses into lying. A juror admitted she was biased against Peltier's race on the second day of the trial but was allowed to stay on anyway. His co-defendants were acquitted on self-defense grounds, but Peltier was singled out for different treatment.
It didn't get any fairer once he was in prison. His decadeslong parole process has been so problematic that United Nations legal experts recently reviewed his case and, over the summer, called on Biden to release him immediately. The working group concluded in a damning 17-page legal opinion: "Mr. Peltier continues to be detained because he is Native American."
The more time that's gone by, the more details have emerged underscoring how problematic Peltier's conviction and imprisonment have been. In an extraordinary letter to Biden last year, James Reynolds, the U.S. attorney who oversaw Peltier's prosecution on appeal, wrote, "I write today from a position rare for a former prosecutor: to beseech you to commute the sentence of a man who I helped put behind bars."
And the late U.S. Judge Gerald Heaney, who presided over Peltier's 1986 appeal, later called for commuting his sentence, saying his trial was unjust and that "a healing process must begin."
Advocates for Peltier's freedom over the years have included Native American elected officials, celebrities like Steven Van Zandt, international human rights leaders like Pope Francis and Nelson Mandela, and Amnesty International, a group that typically fights human rights abuses against people outside of the United States.
"President Biden should free Leonard Peltier! 47 years of injustice - @POTUS the world calls on you to #FreeLeonardPeltier," Amnesty International tweeted Thursday.
The letter from Indigenous artists comes a day after seven U.S. senators appealed to the president to show mercy and grant clemency to Peltier.
"Mr. Peltier's continued imprisonment defies the promises of justice, and the power to exercise mercy in this case lies solely within your discretion," reads the letter from Democratic Sens. Brian Schatz (Hawaii), Patrick Leahy (Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Ed Markey (Mass.), Bernie Sanders (Vt.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii) and Tina Smith (Minn.).
The plea from Indigenous artists also follows Biden addressing tribal leaders at his much-heralded White House Tribal Nations Summit. During the event, the president ticked off all that he’s done for Indian Country, but noticeably said nothing about Peltier's ongoing imprisonment.
A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Indigenous artists' letter or on whether Biden is considering clemency for Peltier.

7. REPETITA IUVANT. LETTER TO PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN IN SUPPORT OF CLEMENCY FOR LEONARD PELTIER. LED BY INDIGENOUS MEMBERS OF THE ENTERTAINMENT & FASHION INDUSTRIES: DALLAS GOLDTOOTH, JANA SCHMIEDING, BIRD RUNNINGWATER, SIERRA TELLER ORNELAS, D'PHARAON WOON-A-TAI, BETHANY WELLOWTAIL
[Dal sito www.huffpost.com riprendiamo e diffondiamo]

Dear President Biden:
We write to you today in support of Leonard Peltier's petition for executive clemency and urge you to expeditiously commute the remainder of his sentence. We are Indigenous and Indigenous-allied members of the entertainment and fashion industries using our platform to bring your attention to the urgency of Mr. Peltier's petition.
Leonard Peltier is a 78-year-old enrolled citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians (ND). He has been imprisoned for 47 years, making him the longest-serving political prisoner in the United States. Nothing is more emblematic of the mistreatment of
American Indians and the uneven hand of the criminal justice system than the handling of his case by the federal government. Leonard Peltier has galvanized generations of Indigenous activists and grassroots movements, yet he remains in confinement. But Leonard is not only a symbol of Indigenous pride, he is also our relative. And his homecoming is imperative to our collective healing. Represented in this letter is a legion of Indigenous artists, forming one collective voice, asking yet another President to grant Leonard Peltier his freedom.
Mr. Peltier is elderly and in failing health and we fear he will not ever make it back to his homelands at Turtle Mountain. We also fear you will miss the opportunity to free a man whose continued incarceration represents to Native America the worst of a federal law enforcement system who for decades carried out acts of racism and injustice throughout Indian Country.
Leonard Peltier is serving a sentence for aiding and abetting in a case where his co-defendants were found not guilty on self-defense grounds. For this, he is serving a longer sentence than most principals in murder convictions.
Further, Mr. Peltier's conviction has been widely recognized as the result of a flawed prosecution that included blatant constitutional violations, prosecutorial misconduct, and a juror's early-trial admission of racism against Native Americans. Underscoring this, James Reynolds, the United States Attorney whose office handled the prosecution and appeal of the case, wrote to you on July 9, 2021, in support of clemency for Mr. Peltier, critically admitting his own office's prosecutorial errors and conceding they were unable to prove that Mr. Peltier personally committed any offense on the Pine Ridge Reservation that day.
Mr. Reynolds' letter, referring to all of these factors, included the following statement: "Leonard Peltier's conviction and continued incarceration is a testament to a time and a system of justice that no longer has a place in our society."
Our letter joins those from national and international human rights organizations, leading voices on criminal justice issues, religious leaders, dignitaries from around the world, and numerous current and former members of Congress. Notably, in 1993, Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI), then the Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, endorsed clemency for Mr. Peltier and stated, "As long as the FBI misconduct issues in this case are left unresolved, it will be difficult for Native Americans to trust that the U.S. judicial system will accord them with the same justice it accords to other citizens."
Remarkably, twenty-nine years later, in January of 2022, the current Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) also wrote to you urging the commutation of Mr. Peltier's sentence saying, "I strongly support your administration's work to pursue a fair and constitutionally sound justice system. In keeping with those principles, I urge you to commute Mr. Peltier's sentence."
This is now about justice and an opportunity, with your grant of clemency, to recognize the injustices that have taken place in our tribal communities. We urge you to grant clemency to Leonard Peltier by commuting the remainder of his sentence.
Thank you for your consideration of our urgent request.
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Signatories:
1. Dallas Goldtooth - Letter Lead
2. Bird Runningwater - Letter Lead
3. Jana Schmieding - Letter Lead
4. Sierra Teller Ornelas - Letter Lead
5. D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai - Letter Lead
6. Bethany Yellowtail - Letter Lead
7. Jodi Archambault
8. Doane Avery
9. Brian Bahe
10. Shauna Baker
11. Twyla Baker
12. Tanaya Beatty
13. Nanobah Becker
14. Daryl Begay
15. Tiffany Benally
16. Shaz Bennett
17. Lucas Brown Eyes
18. Jeremy Charles
19. Chad Charlie
20. Tazbah Chavez
21. Joey Clift
22. Azie Dungey
23. Kelsey Duvauchelle
24. Siena East
25. Sarah Eagle Heart
26. Crystal Echo Hawk
27. Chris Eyre
28. Anthony Florez
29. Norma Flying Horse
30. Charley Flyte
31. Sydney Freeland
32. Nicholas Galanin
33. Julia Gavin
34. Cara Gee
35. Lily Gladstone
36. Kiowa Gordon
37. Jason Grasl
38. Michael Greyeyes
39. Aurora Guerrero
40. Nicole Harjo
41. Joy Haskell
42. Allison Hicks
43. Kaniehtiio Horn
44. Taietsaron:sere Leclaire
45. Zahn McClarnon
46. Tatanka Means
47. Dr. Jessica Moore Harjo
48. Blake Pickens
49. Tommy Pico
50. Kenny Ramos
51. Darrell Redleaf-Fielder
52. Angela Riley
53. Emma Robbins
54. Sebastian Robertson
55. Althea Sam
56. Moi Santos
57. Shania Skyy
58. Vera Starbard
59. Kholan Studi
60. Brooke Swaney
61. Marilyn Thomas
62. Ruth-Ann Thorn
63. Stacey Thunder
64. Dana Tiger
65. Mark Tilsen
66. Raoul Max Trujillo
67. Dash Turner
68. Edgar Villanueva
69. Loren Waters
70. Daniel Warrior
71. Bobby Wilson
72. Jared Yazzie
73. Allie Redhorse Young
74. Roman Zaragoza
75. Gregory Zaragoza
76. Karim Ahmad
77. Amy Aniobi
78. Rosanna Arquette
79. Katie Arthurs
80. Deidre Backs
81. Stephanie Beatriz
82. Elizabeth Bell
83. Leah Benavides
84. Tawnya Benavides-Bhattacharya
85. Tsipi Ben-Haim
86. Jonathan Berry
87. Donnie Betts
88. Brigid Boyle
89. Guy Branum
90. Patrick Brice
91. Jackson Browne
92. Kristin Burke
93. Corrie Caster
94. Jeff Chang
95. Linda Yvette Chavez
96. Bruce Cockburn
97. Adam Conover
98. Peter Coyote
99. Lauren Craniotes
100. Grace Critchfield
101. L.C. Crowley
102. Lisa E Davis
103. John Densmore
104. Chelsea Devantez
105. Ani DiFranco
106. Kate DiRienzo
107. Steve Earle
108. Katherina Nahid Ebrahimi
109. Camille Eden
110. Daniel Erliz
111. Gabriel Estrada
112. Michael Falbo
113. Diane Farr
114. America Ferrera
115. Nick Forster
116. Melissa Fumero
117. John Fusco
118. Peter Gabriel
119. Joel Garcia
120. Daisey Gardner
121. Wayne Garner
122. Amelie Gillette
123. Rupinder Gill
124. Danis Goulet
125. Jonathan Groff
126. Lisa Hanawalt
127. Emily Heller
128. Marielle Heller
129. Ed Helms
130. Kahara Hodges
131. Karen Horne
132. Eric Ibarra
133. Jessica Jazayeri
134. Barry Jenkins
135. Christina Jimenez
136. Samuel Johns
137. Burrell Jones
138. Gloria Kellett
139. Riley Keough
140. Elena Klaver
141. Kenneth Klonsky
142. Kris Kristofferson
143. Larry Laboe
144. Lorna Lefoux
145. Jesse Leigh
146. Gabe Leidman
147. Christopher Locklear
148. Justin Louiz
149. Marcos Luevanos
150. Alexandria Martin
151. Kelley Mcgregor
152. Rose McIver
153. M’Daya Meliani
154. Elizabeth Méndez Berry
155. Kyle Michael Mendiola
156. Charles Micheaux
157. Ryan Miguel
158. Dustin Milligan
159. Aaron Mirmalek
160. Michael Moore
161. Solange Morales
162. Tom Morello
163. Matthew Murray
164. Nalita Murray
165. Graham Nash
166. Zoe Neugebohr
167. Evangeline Ordaz
168. Anshantia Oso
169. Gil Ozeri
170. Carolina Paiz
171. Adam Parker
172. Eric Parmater
173. Illana Pena
174. Carmen Perez-Jordan
175. Jarrid Poitras
176. Penny Prentice
177. Heather Rae
178. Bonnie Raitt
179. Vanessa Ramos
180. Preston Randolph
181. Dailyn Rodriguez
182. Gladys Rodriguez
183. Shannon Rivers
184. Calixto Robles
185. Oliverio Rodriguez
186. Robby Romero
187. Pacita Rudder
188. Mark Ruffalo
189. Amber Ruffin
190. Morgan Sackett
191. Chitra Sampath
192. Tekenya Sanchez
193. Nico Santos
194. Tanya Saracho
195. Debra Scacco
196. Claire Scanlon
197. Michael Schur
198. Heath Seifert
199. Haley Seppa
200. Nina Shaw
201. Chloe Simpson
202. Mary Sinclair
203. Lauren Smith
204. Andy Spahn
205. Ringo Starr
206. Shelby Stone
207. Lynette Taylor
208. Paul F. Tompkins
209. Andrew Troy
210. Tanya Tucker
211. Steven Van Zandt
212. Lindsey Villareal
213. Andrew Williamson
214. Casey Wilson
215. Hilary Winston
216. Deborah Wolfe
*
"It poorly serves the cause of justice to allow such a thoroughly discredited conviction to stand and to cause further pain and suffering for Mr. Peltier." - Coretta Scott King (2000).

8. REPETITA IUVANT. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL GROUP 30: FREE LEONARD PELTIER SOCIAL MEDIA ACTION
[Dal sito www.aigroup30.org riprendiamo e diffondiamo]

SUMMARY OF THE ISSUE
What's happening: Leonard Peltier is an Anishinabe—Lakota Native American serving two consecutive life sentences.
When arrested, he was a leading member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), an advocacy group and movement concerned with Native American rights. In 1975, during a confrontation on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota involving AIM members, two FBI agents were shot dead. Leonard was convicted of their murders, but has always maintained his innocence.
There are serious concerns about the fairness of proceedings leading to his trial and conviction, including coerced and later recanted testimony as well as the prosecution's withholding of evidence that might have assisted Leonard Peltier's defense. In light of these and other concerns, the former US Attorney who supervised the prosecution team post-trial, James Reynolds, has since called for clemency. In a letter he wrote to President Biden on July 9th 2021, he states: "I write today from a position rare for a former prosecutor: to beseech you to commute the sentence of a man who I helped put behind bars... I have realized that the prosecution and continued incarceration of Mr. Peltier was and is unjust."
In 2016 Amnesty International highlighted Leonard's case in its Write for Rights Campaign. Unfortunately, President Obama did not grant Leonard clemency and he will not be eligible for parole until 2024. Leonard's serious and increasing health concerns do not afford him a luxury of time.
He is now 77 years in ailing health with multiple chronic illnesses including diabetes, an abdominal aortic aneurysm and other serious life-threatening illnesses. Prison alone is hazardous for one's health, as an elder surviving in prison for 44+ years, particularly with comorbidities during COVID, his release is an extremely urgent matter.
Imprisoned in Florida, approximately 2,000 miles from his community, it is not only a physical hardship for his loved ones to visit him, it is almost impossible financially. As a result, he remains isolated and in poor and rapidly declining health.
Amnesty International urges the Biden / Harris administration to act in the interest of justice and grant Leonard Peltier clemency—AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. PLEASE TAKE ACTION: HERE!
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CALL TO ACTION: VIDEO / PHOTO
We ask all Amnesty International activists to make videos and take photos for this urgent global social media action.
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PHOTO ACTIONS
Take photos with Free Leonard Peltier signs. If no time to make them yourself, print one of these!
Get creative! Write Free Leonard Peltier in the sand on your favorite beach, write it with stones, leaves, twigs, flowers, or people! Ask your local theater to put Free Leonard Peltier on their theater's sign, take photos!
Take photos in front of iconic landmarks, murals, natural sites in your community like national parks, the Golden Gate Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, the Capitol building in your city, iconic places around the world like Big Ben, Taj Mahal, or natural landscapes, the beach, your yard or wherever you are in the world!
Ask your local bookstore to put a sign in the window! Paint a painting or a mural. Get in the picture and post on social media! Lean into your creativity and make signs with drawings, or take selfies with Free Leonard signs. Always be very professional and polite in your ask!
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TAKE A VIDEO ACTION
Post your videos and photos on social media! Please upload your short video HERE!
(By submitting you give AIUSA Group 30 permission to use in our advocacy for freeing Leonard).
Solo Video:
1. Write a 30-60 second script on why you think Leonard Peltier must be released.
Introduce yourself and your city/state or country. See messaging guide if you need help with your script and stay on message!
2. Film horizontally with good natural lighting (no filters).
3. Make sure your audio is clear and good quality (no wind, no other noises).
4. Post on your social media platforms, tagging President Joe Biden (@POTUS), Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP), and Amnesty International USA (@amnestyusa) so that we can amplify your activism!
5. Please also send completed video / photos here as we might use for Amnesty advocacy for Leonard.
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MESSAGING GUIDANCE
Personalized messages in your unique voice are best! Be sure to focus your video on Leonard's release and say why it is important to YOU. See some talking points below to help you get started: It's time to release Leonard Peltier!
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ADAPT ANY OF THE BELOW FOR A SHORT VIDEO:
"Hello President Biden, my name is [FIRST NAME] and I am a human rights defender in [CITY/STATE OR COUNTRY]." I am calling on you to please release native elder, Leonard Peltier. (Please state this at the beginning of your video.)
Leonard Peltier has spent 45 years in Federal prison, often in solitary confinement, for a crime he maintains he did not do.
Leonard Peltier is 77 years old and in rapidly declining health. There are serious concerns that he is not receiving adequate medical treatment—he needs access to medical treatment as soon as possible. As his condition could be fatal.
Amnesty International is calling on President Biden to grant Leonard Peltier clemency before it is too late. He should live his final days on native land.
We must face and change the painful and enduring legacy of racism in the carceral system in the United States. Leonard Peltier's case is a prime example of unfair trials and other injustices that first peoples, and BIPOC people face in a historically racist and biased legal and carceral system.
Peace Prize Laureates, including the late Nelson Mandela and dozens of religious and human rights leaders like Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Coretta Scott King have all called for Leonard Peltier's release.President Biden you have an opportunity to rectify a case that has troubled many people for decades. It is time to release Leonard Peltier! You President Biden are the one who can do it! Please hear the human rights defenders around the world and grant Leonard Peltier clemency.
The time to act is now!
*
AMPLIFY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Elevate these calls to action on your social media channel to keep our ask on their radar.  Please be sure to include @POTUS and @VP (Vice President Kamala Harris)
Please use the hashtags #FreeLeonardPeltier #Clemency #IndigenousRights so folks can follow, retweet and amplify our activism!
*
Sample Tweets / Posts
@amnesty calls on @POTUS to grant #NativeAmerican elder Leonard Peltier #CLEMENCY before it is too late. He is in very poor health and should live with his community @JoeBiden @VP @amnestyusa #FreeLeonardPeltier
@POTUS please grant #clemency to #NativeAmerican elder Leonard Peltier. He is 77 in declining health and needs access to medical treatment. He has already served 2 sentences. @VP @amnestyusa @SpeakerPelosi #FreeLeonardPeltier #IndigenousRights
Peace Prize Laureates like @NelsonMandela & religious & #humanrights leaders around the world like the @DalaiLama & @TheDesmondTutu have called for Leonard Peltier's release for 45 + years now @POTUS please grant #CLEMENCY to #FREELEONARDPELTIER while there is still time
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Lobby your Member of Congress
Representative Grijalva and ten other Members of Congress wrote a letter to President Biden, Attorney General Garland, Director Carvajal, and Director Keller to grant Leonard clemency.
Representative Ruth Buffalo (ND) and 23 Native American legislators drafted a similar letter on behalf of Leonard.
Ask your Representative to draft a letter like Rep Grijalva's or Rep Buffalo's. If your Representative signed onto the letter already please thank them! Find your Representative
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Write to Your Local Papers
Write an Op-Ed or a Letter to the Editor

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LA BIBLIOTECA DI ZOROBABELE
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Segnalazioni librarie e letture nonviolente
a cura del "Centro di ricerca per la pace, i diritti umani e la difesa della biosfera" di Viterbo
Supplemento a "La nonviolenza e' in cammino" (anno XXIII)
Direttore responsabile: Peppe Sini. Redazione: strada S. Barbara 9/E, 01100 Viterbo, tel. 0761353532, e-mail: centropacevt at gmail.com
Numero 650 del 6 dicembre 2022
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Informativa sulla privacy
E' possibile consultare l'informativa sulla privacy a questo indirizzo: https://www.peacelink.it/peacelink/informativa-privacy-nonviolenza
Per non ricevere piu' il notiziario e' sufficiente recarsi in questa pagina: https://lists.peacelink.it/sympa/signoff/nonviolenza
Per iscriversi al notiziario l'indirizzo e' https://lists.peacelink.it/sympa/subscribe/nonviolenza
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L'unico indirizzo di posta elettronica utilizzabile per contattare la redazione e' centropacevt at gmail.com