Justice for Leonard Peltier statement read to UN Human Rights Council Geneva

This statement was read to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva today, Friday, July 12, 2013 Human Rights Council Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Sixth session United Nations, Geneva, 8-12 July 2013 Agenda item 5. Study on access to justice in the promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples. Joint statement submitted by : Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee (LPDOC Regional Chapters European network), Committee in solidarity with Indigenous peoples of the Americas (CSIA-Nitassinan), International Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Incomindios),  Abeitskreis Indianer Nordamerikas (AKIN) ; Arbeitsgruppe Indianer und Menschenrechte (AGIM) Speaker : Edith PATROUILLEAU Mr Chairperson, Access to justice intersects with human rights in a number of ways. It is itself a fundamental right as set out in Article 8 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.”. The right to justice for indigenous peoples and individuals is also protected under international law, such as under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the ILO Convention 169 and the Declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples.