Biden Commutes Sentence of Leonard Peltier in Final Act as President

The decision to release the Native American activist convicted of killing two FBI agents in 1975 has drawn strong reactions from law enforcement and human rights advocates.

Leonard Peltier, an Indigenous activist convicted of the 1975 murders of two FBI agents, had his life sentence commuted by President Joe Biden shortly before leaving office.
Peltier, now 80 and in poor health, has spent nearly five decades in prison and will serve the remainder of his life under house arrest, though his conviction remains intact.
The FBI Agents Association and former FBI Director Christopher Wray strongly opposed the commutation, calling it a betrayal of justice and the victims' families.
Supporters of Peltier, including human rights organizations and some lawmakers, have long argued that his trial was marred by prosecutorial misconduct and constitutional violations.
This commutation was part of a broader set of last-minute clemency decisions by Biden, including pardons for family members and others, which have sparked significant controversy.