Resolution for an External Investigation
concerning
Leonard Peltier_s Extradition from Canada
WHEREAS Leonard Peltier, an Anishinabe/Lakota,
leader of the American Indian Movement (AIM),
has been wrongly imprisoned for 19 years in the
United States;
WHEREAS Peltier fled to Canada in fear of his
life searching for political asylum and
protection in 1975;
WHEREAS Peltier was arrested by the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police in Alberta, Canada on
Feb. 6th, 1976;
WHEREAS Peltier was offered political asylum by
the Kwakuitl Nation on their sovereign
territory;
WHEREAS Canada refused this right of the
Kwakuitl Nation;
WHEREAS Leonard Peltier was extradited from
Canada on false testimonies and fabricated
evidence presented by US officials and the FBI;
WHEREAS the FBI today admits to this
misconduct;
WHEREAS this fraudulent aberation of standard
of procedure between two friendly nations
presents a violation of International Law;
WHEREAS 60 members of the Canadian House of
Commons, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal
Peoples, Judge Rene Dussault of the Quebec
Court of Appeals, Canadian Lawyers Caucus and
numerous organizations have shown their support
for Leonard Peltier concerning the illegal
extradition from Canada to the United States;
WHEREAS the Canadian Justice Minister Allan
Rock authorized a review of Leonard Peltier's
case March 7th, 1994;
WHEREAS this is the first time the Canadan
Government has agreed to re-evaluate their
position concerning the extradition of Leonard
Peltier;
WHEREAS the Liberal Member of the Parliament
Warren Almand (chairperson of Canadian
Parliament Justice Committee) , a former
Solicitor General, made strong recommendations
that an independent review be granted ;
THEREFORE we, the participants of the 10th
European Meeting of Support Groups of North
American Indigenous PeopleS gathered in Les
Geneveyes sur Coffrane near Neuchatel,
Switzerland, from July 30th to August 1st,
1995, including 14 Indigenous representatives
and 25 organizations from Austria, Belgium,
England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands,
Poland, United States of America and Canada,
demand that Minister Allan Rock authorize an
independent review by an external commission
and grant a fair and neutral inquiry concerning
the misconduct of US officials and FBI
personnel in Leonard Peltier's extradition.
MOVED BY: Frank Dreaver, Leonard Peltier
Defence Committee - Canada
SECONDED BY: Sylvain Duez-Alesandrini,
Nitassinan - Comite de Soutien aux Indiens des
Ameriques, France, Leonard Peltier Support
Group (France)
PASSED: with one abstention
Chairperson of the Meeting
DATE: August 1st, 1995