$36 Million Compensation to Two Acquitted of Malcolm X’s Crime

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Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam, who died in 2009, were wrongfully sentenced to more than 20 years in prison

New York seeks to compensate for “failure of justice,” as the Supreme Court called it in 2021, which led to the conviction of two African Americans, Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam, to more than 20 years in prison for the murder of the American activist Malcolm X in 1965. At the time, both defendants pleaded not guilty, but the conviction continued. They were acquitted a year ago and now they will be compensated for the mistake.

New York City is settling lawsuits brought by Aziz, 84, and Islam’s family, who died in 2009, by agreeing to pay $26 million for wrongful convictions that put them behind bars for both decades. In addition, the state of New York will pay another 10 million. In total, both families will receive 36 million dollars (36.4 million euros) in compensation.

“The tragedy of the murder of Malcolm X was felt and exacerbated around the world as it led to the conviction and incarceration of two innocent young black men in the United States,” said his attorney, David Shanies. “This injustice is now recognized and a modest step has been taken to correct it,” he added. Likewise, the lawyer criticized that the “misconduct of the police and the prosecution is causing enormous damage”, so “we must remain vigilant to identify and correct injustices.”

Last November, a Manhattan judge dismissed both convictions after prosecutors found new evidence of witness harassment and suppression of evidence exonerating Aziz and Islam. Then District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. apologized for “serious and unacceptable violations of the law and public trust” by law enforcement officers.

The New York City Legal Department confirmed the wrongful conviction, noting that the financial settlement “offers a measure of justice to people who have spent decades in prison and carried the stigma of being falsely accused of murdering a leading man.” figure.” iconic”.

Source: La Verdad

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