They’re trying to break him

A "CEMENT steel hotbox" is how American Indian Movement (AIM) activist Leonard Peltier describes his conditions in solitary confinement at the U.S. Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pa., where he was relocated on June 27.

The 66-year-old Peltier has been in prison for more than three decades after his conviction for alleged involvement in the 1975 killing of FBI agents in a shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Peltier, who maintains his innocence, has since been the target of abuse and mistreatment in prison.

Peltier was moved to Lewisburg--well-known for its harsh restrictions and rough treatment of inmates--after he was beaten by younger prisoners at Canaan Federal Penitentiary in 2009. Prison officials transferred him to solitary confinement for two alleged minor infractions.

Peltier's attorney, Robert Bryan, told the Native News Network that he is being punished because "a woman in the UK mailed a silver coin, which was actually delivered to him by prison officials, and a light switch that had been tampered with by a cellmate some time ago."

Peltier, who is supposed to spend six months in solitary, described a lack of ventilation in the extreme summer heat that leaves him "drenched in hot sweat." He is having difficulty concentrating in conditions his attorney called a "hellhole." Peltier is allowed just one hour of exercise five days a week in a cage where water isn't allowed. Three days a week, he is allowed to shower. Peltier is not allowed personal visits.

These barbaric condition can only exacerbate the poor health that Peltier has suffered in prison, including hypertension and diabetes.

Peltier's current situation is the most recent example of decades of despicable treatment of Indian activists at the hands of the U.S. government. During the 1970s, the federal government launched a campaign against AIM supporters, which included harassment, intimidation and frame-ups of activists, as well as fueling tensions among Indian groups.

The FBI responded to AIM's takeover of Pine Ridge in 1973 with the utmost brutality, including a 71-day siege to retake the reservation, followed by a three-year reign of terror against AIM activists, in which some 50 were killed and hundreds charged.

Peltier never received a fair trial after he was arrested following the 1975 shootout with federal agents. The judge barred testimony from key witnesses who attempted to recant their testimony, several who said they had been coerced and denied the right to their attorney.

"I wonder if it would be different if Leonard were not a prominent American Indian activist who keeps fighting after decades of imprisonment. This present situation is greatly exaggerated by the prison officials," asked Peltier attorney Bryan. "I view this as another attempt to break and intimidate Leonard."

Supporters of Leonard Peltier are planning a vigil and rally in Lewisburg on August 6 and 7 to call for his release--from solitary confinement and from prison, period. For more information, visit the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee website.

As Peltier, who continues to organize for human rights from behind bars, urged supporters in a statement in late June:

[T]his case is about much more than me. If you believe in truth, justice, honor, freedom, all of what is supposed to make America great, then help me open the door to my release. If you believe in Indian sovereignty, join my cause and in doing so help yourself. Take your place in the struggle and do all you can to eradicate injustice.