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Jailed Native American Leader Leonard Peltier Transferred to Indiana Prison and Put in Solitary Confinement

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Jailed Native American Leader Leonard Peltier was transferred from Leavenworth prison in Kansas to the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana where he was put in solitary confinement. We speak with his lead attorney, Barry Bachrach. [includes rush transcript]

We turn now to the case of jailed Native American Leader Leonard Peltier. Peltier was convicted for the deaths of two FBI agents who died during a 1975 shoot-out with the American Indian Movement known as AIM on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Peltier is serving two life sentences for the fatal shootings but has always maintained his innocence. He has been in jail for almost 30 years.

Peltier has been serving time in Leavenworth prison in Kansas. Last week, his grandson went to visit him and found out that he had been abruptly transferred and put in the hole, or solitary confinement, at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana.

  • Barry Bachrach, he has been the lead attorney for Leonard Peltier for the past 3 and 1/2 years. He is a partner at the law firm Bowditch and Dewey.

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Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: For more on this story, we turn to Leonard Peltier’s attorney, Barry Bachrach, who speaks to us now. Can you tell us what is the situation for Leonard Peltier? Has he been moved out of Leavenworth for good?

BARRY BACHRACH: Yes. He has been moved out of Leavenworth for good. And as you indicated, he was transferred — I never — I didn’t even find out that he was transferred until after Cyrus, his grandson, called me and indicated to me that he had been moved. And at that point, I got on the phone to make sure that things were okay and found out when I spoke to Leonard, that he had not been given his medications, but just as I called him, he was being given his medications.

AMY GOODMAN: And will he be at the Terre Haute prison now for good?

BARRY BACHRACH: As I understand it, yes, unless we can change his security level and get him into what we believe is a more appropriate setting.

AMY GOODMAN: Barry Bachrach, lead attorney for Leonard Peltier.

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