Leonard Peltier, the Native American activist convicted in 1975 for the killings of two FBI agents, was released from federal prison on Tuesday after Joe Biden commuted his sentence in January. Peltier, now 80 and in poor health, had spent nearly 49 years behind bars.

“They may have imprisoned me, but they never took my spirit!” Peltier said in a statement. “I am finally going home. I look forward to seeing my friends, my family, and my community.” Biden’s order allowed Peltier to transition to home confinement but did not pardon him for his crimes. The National Congress of American Indians called the commutation “historic” and a symbol of systemic injustices against Indigenous people.

Peltier’s conviction stemmed from a 1975 shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota between FBI agents and members of the American Indian Movement (AIM), a group advocating for Native American rights. The clash resulted in the deaths of agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, who were shot at close range, as well as Native American activist Joseph Stuntz.

Peltier, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to two consecutive life terms. Two other AIM members were acquitted on self-defense grounds. Peltier has long maintained his innocence, arguing that prosecutors fabricated affidavits and withheld key evidence that could have supported his defense. He admitted to firing a gun but claimed it was in self-defense. A key witness later recanted her testimony, saying it was coerced.

Over the decades, figures such as Nelson Mandela, Pope Francis, and former U.S. Attorney James H. Reynolds—who oversaw Peltier’s prosecution—advocated for his release. Reynolds repeatedly urged presidents to grant clemency, calling Peltier’s continued incarceration “unjust.” In 2021, he wrote to Biden, arguing that Peltier’s case reflected a justice system that “no longer has a place in our society.”

Despite these appeals, Peltier was denied parole as recently as July and was not eligible for reconsideration until 2026. Biden’s decision to commute his sentence faced strong opposition from former FBI Director Christopher Wray, who called Peltier “a remorseless killer” and urged Biden to deny clemency, arguing that it would be an “affront to the rule of law.”