Around the world, frontline human rights defenders are targeted for their work and activism in the areas of Indigenous rights and environmental justice. Frontline Defenders’ Global Analysis 2022 reports that 401 human rights defenders were killed in 26 countries. The U.S. is not covered in statistics reported by Frontline Defenders and there is no internal mechanism within the U.S. for determining state misconduct, targeting, use of excessive force or other unjust treatment under the law. Since the 1970s, the dangerous use of the industry-coined phrase ‘eco-terrorism,’ has been on the rise in the U.S. This brands climate activists, Water Protectors, and other human rights defenders as “eco-terrorists” resulting in a “Green Scare” that has led to legal and legislative repercussions for climate justice defenders and dangerous judicial precedents. 
In June of 2021, Jessica Reznicek was sentenced to 8 years (96 months) in federal prison after pleading guilty to acts of property damage she caused the Dakota Access Pipeline, which was not operational at the time and did not pose a threat to human life. Over Reznicek’s objection, the federal district court applied a “terrorism” sentencing enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 3A1.4 that increased her sentencing range from 37–46 months to 210–240 months. The terrorism enhancement against Reznicek was applied in response to a 2017 letter in which 84 members of Congress wrote to former Attorney General Jeff Sessions requesting that Reznicek and other protestors who tamper with private property, like pipelines be prosecuted as domestic terrorists. The authors of this letter received a combined $36 million in campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry. On appeal, Reznicek argued that her actions targeted a private company, not the government, and was therefore misapplied. The appeal was denied by the Eighth Circuit Court and Reznicek is currently serving out her sentence. The 2021 sentencing of Reznicek pursuant to application of a federal terrorism enhancement for acts of non-violent property destruction set an alarming and dangerous precedent for climate justice movements and endangers Indigenous and frontline defenders most impacted by worsening climate conditions. Since Reznicek’s sentencing in federal court, hundreds of Indigenous Water Protectors and Land Defenders acting in opposition the Enbridge Line 3 tar sands pipeline were charged with felony allegations of “Theft” and elevated “Trespass to Critical Infrastructure” violations of a Minnesota statute promoted by the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). The dangerous repressive dehumanization from this labeling and rhetoric is further evident in the conscience-shocking assassination of Atlanta Forest Defender Manuel “Tortuguita” Teran by Georgia law enforcement in January 2023, and the subsequent mass indictment by Georgia prosecutors of protestors opposed to a militarized police training academy under a conspiracy theory alleging that marches, rallies, and associations in defense of the Atlanta forest and in opposition to “Cop City” amount to violations of Georgia’s state RICO and “Domestic Terrorism” statutes.
Sign the petition and write to Jessica: supportjessicareznicek.com

Press Releases

• November 12, 2021: #FreeJessica: National Lawyers Guild and Water Protector Legal Collective Submit Amicus Brief In 8th Circuit Court of Appeals In Support of Water Protector, Jessica Reznicek

• June 8, 2022: WPLC Continues to Stand in Solidarity with Jessica Reznicek following 8th Circuit Decision

Documents

• Water Protector Legal Collective and National Lawyers Guild Amicus Brief

• 8th Circuit Court of Appeals Decision