President Biden issues last-minute pardons to family members, commutes sentence of activist Leonard Peltier
President Joe Biden issued last-minute pardons to family members and commuted indigenous activist Leonard Peltier's life sentence, allowing him to serve the remainder in home confinement due to his advanced age and health issues.

Washington: President Joe Biden has issued last-minute pardons to several members of his family, including his brother James, James' wife Sara Jones, younger sister Valerie, her husband John Owens, and brother Francis. This move comes after Biden stated that his family has been subjected to relentless attacks and threats aimed at hurting him.
Biden expressed concerns that these attacks won't cease, despite his family's innocence. He emphasized that baseless investigations can cause irreparable harm to individuals and their families, damaging their reputations and finances, even if they're ultimately exonerated.
Notably, Biden also issued pardons to Gerald G. Lundergan and Ernest William Cromartie, and commuted the life sentence of indigenous activist Leonard Peltier, who was convicted of killing two FBI agents in 1975. Peltier, 80, will now serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement.
Peltier's case has been a rallying cry for the indigenous rights movement for nearly half a century. He was a key figure in the American Indian Movement, which emerged in the 1960s to address police brutality and discrimination against Native Americans. The movement gained national attention in 1973 when it occupied the village of Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge reservation, leading to a 71-day standoff with federal agents.
The events leading to Peltier's conviction began on June 26, 1975, when FBI agents arrived at Pine Ridge to serve arrest warrants. A shootout ensued, resulting in the deaths of agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, as well as American Indian Movement member Joseph Stuntz. Peltier fled to Canada but was later extradited to the US, where he was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Despite claims of falsified evidence, Peltier's conviction has been upheld for decades. However, his advanced age, health issues, and the substantial length of time he has already spent in prison have led to widespread calls for clemency. Tribal Nations, Nobel Peace laureates, and human rights organizations have all supported Peltier's bid for freedom.