NEW YORK (Press Release) — Statement by Robert G. Sugarman, Chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman, of Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations:
“The reports of Jonathan Pollard’s hospitalization, following his loss of consciousness underscores the need for immediate action for his release. It is regrettable and inexplicable that the Parole Board denied his application after serving 30 years, much of it in solitary confinement, far beyond anyone accused of a comparable crime. We join the distinguished Americans including Ambassador R. James Woolsey, Senator Dennis DeConcini, Senator David F. Durenburger, Robert C. MacFarlane, Lawrence J. Korb, Professor Angelo Codevilla, Congressman Lee Hamilton, and Bernard W. Nussbaum, who strongly protested the ‘unjust denial of parole’ and questioned the decision which, they wrote, ‘mischaracterizes Mr. Pollard’s actions and makes a patently false claim on which it bases its denial of parole’.
“Underscoring the misguided decision regarding his parole was that he was given the highest score for suitability for release. There are many other factors that make clear that his unconditional release is long overdue.
“We urge President Obama, especially in this holiday season and given Mr. Pollard’s worsening health, to take steps immediately to expedite and gain Mr. Pollard’s release and to commute his life sentence to the more than 29 years he has already served.”
The text of the letter from the Senior US Officials is as follows:
President Barack H. Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500
November 14, 2014
Dear Mr. President:
Re: Unjust Denial of Parole for Jonathan Pollard
The Parole Commission also ignored compassionate factors, such as Mr. Pollard’s age (he has spent half of his life in prison) and his poor state of health; and his family situation (his wife has had two bouts with cancer and had to manage without her husband’s presence or assistance).
As former officials of the US government who served our country with pride, we take no pride in the ongoing miscarriage of justice which has deprived Mr. Pollard of his right to fair and equal treatment before the law. Mr. Pollard committed a serious offense and justifiably received a severe sentence. Efforts to secure commutation of Mr. Pollard’s life sentence began in earnest only after Mr. Pollard had served 20 years as a model prisoner and adequately expressed remorse. It is clear that his sentence is far more severe than others in the US convicted of the same offense. We are deeply troubled that his grossly disproportionate sentence is now continuing into a 30th year of incarceration with no end in sight.
Denying a man his freedom based on a claim of damage that is patently false while ignoring exculpatory documentary evidence and hiding behind a veil of secret evidence is neither fair nor just, and it simply is not the American way. It is precisely for cases like this which clearly deviate from the standard of American justice – and compassion – that our nation prides itself on, that the Constitution grants the president of the United States virtually unlimited powers of executive clemency.
We therefore strongly urge you, Mr. President, to tolerate no further delay in rectifying an injustice that has gone on for far too long. We urge you to act expeditiously to commute Mr. Pollard’s life sentence to the 29 years which he has already served.
Respectfully,
Amb. R. James Woolsey
Former Director of the CIA
Senator Dennis DeConcini
Former Chair of Senate Intelligence Committee
Senator David F. Durenburger
Former Chair of Senate Intelligence Committee
Robert C. MacFarlane
Former US National Security Advisor
Lawrence J. Korb
Former Assistant US Secretary of Defense
Angelo Codevilla, Prof. emeritus Boston Univ.
Former Senate Intelligence Committee Staff
Congressman Lee Hamilton
Homeland Security Advisor to Pres. Obama and Former Chair of the Select Committee on Intelligence
Bernard W. Nussbaum
Former White House Counsel
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Preceding provided by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations