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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
15 November 2010
Contact:
Delaney Bruce, Legal Team Liaison, Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee,
PO Box 7488, Fargo, ND 58106, USA; Telephone: 701/235-2206; contact@whoisleonardpeltier.info
Peltier family accuses
U.S. government of medical neglect
“A man dies from prostate
cancer every 16 minutes in this country. Why does my brother have to wait over
a year to receive even a diagnosis?”
Native American activist
Leonard Peltier, who maintains his innocence, was wrongfully convicted in
connection with the shooting deaths of two agents of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation in 1977. Imprisoned for 35 years—currently at the federal prison
in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania—Peltier has been designated a political prisoner by
Amnesty International. Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, 55 Members of Congress
and others—including a judge who sat as a member of the court in two of
Peltier’s appeals—have all called for his immediate release. Widely recognized
for his humanitarian works and a six-time Nobel Prize nominee, Peltier also is
an accomplished author and painter.
Sister Betty Solano says
Peltier began exhibiting symptoms commonly attributed to prostate cancer over a
year ago. His age (he is 66 years old) and family history are risk factors for
the disease. Pressured by Peltier’s attorneys, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) ran
standard blood tests in June. Peltier received the results last week, over
four months later. A physician only now says a biopsy is needed to make a
diagnosis.
Prostate cancer affects 1
in 6 men in the United States. Medical experts agree that the cure rate for
prostate cancer is high, but only if detected early.
Even if Peltier doesn’t
have cancer, the symptoms indicate a serious medical condition and one that
could lead to serious complications if left untreated.
A physician who conducted
an independent review of Peltier’s medical records in 2000 concluded that
Peltier’s overall medical treatment is below a reasonable standard of care.
Decades ago, Peltier suffered a stroke which left him nearly blind in one
eye—damage physicians say could have been prevented had he been treated
sooner. In the 1990s, there was international outrage after the BOP botched
surgeries to correct a jaw problem. Only then was Peltier transferred to the
Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for treatment. Subsequent procedures were recommended
by a specialist, but never performed by the BOP.
“Last week, at the United
Nations, the United States claimed that it is unequivocally committed to the
humane treatment of all individuals in detention, including criminal
detention. Delaying tests, avoiding a diagnosis, and preventing proper medical
treatment for a potentially life threatening disease is not humane by anyone’s
definition,” a spokesperson for the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee
said.
“Unfortunately, this
situation isn’t unique to Mr. Peltier. Many U.S. prisoners die prematurely
because treatment is delayed or denied.”
Family members want the
government to release Peltier who was denied parole in 2009. His North Dakota
tribe has twice passed a resolution asking the government to transfer Peltier
into their custody. Peltier’s many supporters believe his release from prison
is the only way Peltier will receive humane treatment.
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US Versus Leonard Peltier:
Evidence of a Wrongful Conviction. From the files of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (Due to the size of this PDF document, we recommend that you
save the document to your hard drive. Right click on the above link,
select Save As from the menu, and designate the location to which you wish to
save the document.)
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