October 31, 2022
2 mins read

Two men acquitted of Malcolm X killing to get $36m

The two men, Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam, both spent over 20 years in prison for Malcolm X’s murder, which they always maintained they did not commit….reports Asian Lite News

The two men, who were exonerated after wrongly convicted in the 1965 assassination of human rights activist Malcolm X, will receive $36 million from the city and state of New York, their lawyer confirmed Sunday night.

Malcolm X was gunned down on February 21, 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City while he was addressing a gathering.

“The tragedy of Malcolm X’s murder was felt all over the world, and compounded by the fact that it led to the convictions and imprisonment of two innocent, young, Black men in America,” their lawyer David Shanies said in an emailed statement to AFP.

The two men, Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam, both spent over 20 years in prison for Malcolm X’s murder, which they always maintained they did not commit.

They were released in the mid-1980s, but it was not until November 2021 that their names were fully cleared by the New York State Supreme Court, which called their convictions almost a half-century ago “a failure of justice”, it was reported.

“Today we acknowledge that injustice and take a modest step toward rectifying it,” AFP quoted Shanies as saying.

He confirmed a report from the New York Times that the city of New York will pay $26 million to be split between 84-year-old Muhammad Aziz and the family of Islam, who died in 2009.

The state government of New York will also pay five million dollars each, for a total of $36 million in compensation.

The two and a third man named Mujahid Abdul Halim were convicted of murder in 1966 and sentenced to life in prison.

Halim, now 81 and released from prison in 2010, confessed to the murder but maintained the innocence of the other two.

In November last year, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance together with Shanies Law Office and non-profit legal organisation Innocence Project moved to vacate the convictions and dismiss the indictments of Aziz and Islam.

A two-year re-investigation found that the two didn’t receive a fair trial as New York Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation withheld exculpatory evidence that would have likely led to their acquittal.

Vance said in the court: “I apologise for what were serious, unacceptable violations of the law and the public trust. I apologise on behalf of our nation’s law enforcement for this decades-long injustice, which has eroded public faith in institutions that are designed to guarantee the equal protection of the law.

ALSO READ: Musk to overhaul Twitter

Previous Story

Trudeau joins rally in support of Iran protests

Next Story

US SC may end affirmative action in university admissions

Latest from -Top News

Palestine Seeks Record UK Compensation

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas cites international law, seeking compensation for land and perceived injustices during British rule….reports Asian Lite News Britain faces a £2 trillion reparations claim from the Palestinian Authority

Khalistan Network Under Fire in Canada

Indian agencies regularly share intelligence with their Canadian counterparts, including on groups like Babbar Khalsa International, but the current focus is firmly on SFJ….reports Asian Lite News The arrest of Inderjeet Singh

India, France Hold Nuclear Talks

The meeting, held on Monday, reviewed progress in bilateral civil nuclear cooperation and explored avenues to deepen the strategic partnership…reports Asian Lite News India and France convened the second meeting of their

Trump to Meet Pak PM at UNGA

The US President has already engaged with Pakistan’s military leadership, having hosted Army Chief Asim Munir for a lunch meeting in June….reports Asian Lite News The White House announced on Monday that

EU’s Kallas Calls India ‘Reliable’ Partner

The EU said its closer partnership with India is increasingly becoming vital in the wake of the shifting geopolitical realities…reports Asian Lite News European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas has reaffirmed that
Go toTop

Don't Miss

US to begin student visa application process this month

The US consulates processed nearly 1.25 lakh visa applications of

Trump Organisation, CFO indicted by grand jury for tax crimes

People familiar with the case said the charges were related