The Chambre:
A.
1. observing the resolution of the European Parliament of 15 December 1994;
2. reminding the role Leonard Peltier has had in promoting the respect for human rights of the indigenous peoples
of America;
3. considering that in 1977 Leonard Peltier was sentenced to two life sentences for the murder of two FBI agents in the
state of South Dakota in June 1975;
4. considering that Amnesty International has repeatedly given expression to its concern about the trial which led to
Leonard Peltier's conviction, and considering he was found guilty based on evidence which led to the acquittal of three
other individuals who were involved in the events surrounding the death of the two FBI agents;
5. considering that Mr. Peltier in his struggle to obtain a new trial has been supported by most religious leaders in
the world, and that, moreover, a great number of members of the U.S. House of
Representatives and the U.S. Senate have pleaded in his
favor;
6. considering that the U.S. Senators Paul Wellstone, Daniel K. Inouye, and Ben Nighthorse-Campbell, and the U.S.
Representatives John Conyers, Bill Richardson, and Don Edward have proposed to conduct a hearing to investigate the
circumstances which led to charging Mr. Peltier with murder;
7. being concerned about the repeated refusal to re-open the Peltier case or to start a new investigation;
8. considering that in November 1993 the demand for executive clemency was filed with the President of the U.S., and
that this request has not yet been complied with; and considering that the request for parole was denied on 20 March
1996 and that a new demand for parole will only be possible in December 2008;
9. considering that violations of human rights by definition and according to international law regard all members
of the international community and therefore cannot be an internal matter of any one single Nation whichsoever;
10. is supporting the initiative of U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye to conduct a hearing into the circumstances which
led to charging and convicting Leonard Peltier of murder.
B. is asking the Belgian Government
1. following the proposals of the U.S. Senators Paul Wellstone, Daniel K. Inouye and Ben Nighthorse-Campbell, and the
members of the U.S. House of Representatives John Conyers, Bill Richardson and Don Edward, to insist with the Senate and the
House of Representatives
of the U.S. for the organization of a hearing to investigate the circumstances which led to the charges and conviction
of Mr. Peltier for the double murder;
2. to send this resolution to the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United Sates, more in particular to Senator
Daniel K. Inouye, and to the President of the United States, as well as to the European Council and to the
Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Introduced by:
Mr. Lode Vanoost, MP
Mrs. Martine Schüttringer, MP
in the Belgian House of Representatives, ordinary session 1995-1996, 22 April 1996
Adopted unanimously on 14 March 1997 during the plenary session of the Belgian Parliament
