Amnesty International condemned the sentencing and $25,000 fine of a member of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation for his role in the Algonquins' protest and occupation over uranium mining on disputed land near Sharbot Lake.
The group said the blame for the situation rests with the provincial government.
"Indigenous leaders and their supporters are facing stiff punishments for doing what they feel is necessary to protect rights that may one day be upheld in court or in the land claims process. Meanwhile the provincial government is ignoring its own legal obligations without any accountability," said Craig Benjamin, Amnesty International Canada's Campaigner for the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
In a release, the group called on the province to work with aboriginals to reform provincial laws and policies and commit to a negotiated resolution of the dispute.