Malcolm X’s family claims NYPD, CIA and FBI were involved in his death and plan to sue

The family of slain civil rights leader Malcolm X on Tuesday marked the anniversary of his 1965 assassination by announcing plans to sue agencies including the CIA, FBI, NYPD and others for $100 million, accusing them of being involved in his death. .

His two daughters, Ilyas Shabazz and Kubila Shabazz, were joined by lawyer Ben Crump at a press conference at the site of the former Audubon ballroom in Washington Heights, where Malcolm X was mortally wounded as a crowd gathered to hear him speak. November 21, 1965 The influential figure was shot 21 times.

For decades, there have been questions about who was responsible for his death.

Three men were convicted, but two were exonerated in 2021 after a new investigation into the cases against them found evidence used to secure a conviction was flimsy and authorities withheld some information.

The state and city of New York have already paid $26 million for the wrongful conviction of Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam, who were falsely accused of aiding and abetting Mujahideen handler Halim.

Ilyasa Shabazz, co-administrator of her father’s estate, filed a lawsuit, the first step in the process, stating that the agencies “colluded with each other and with others and acted and did not act in such a manner.” in such a way as to cause the wrongful death of Malcolm X.”

“Our family has been fighting for years to get the truth out,” she said at a press conference. “We want justice to be served to our father.”

Emails asking for comment were sent to the CIA, the FBI, the Justice Department and the New York City Law Department. The Justice Department and the NYPD declined to comment.

Crump marked the anniversary and said that since then “there have been speculations about who was involved in the murder of Malcolm X”.

He referred to the 2021 rehab and said that government agencies, including the Manhattan District Attorney, the NYPD and the FBI, “had factual evidence, exculpatory evidence that they fraudulently withheld from the people who were wrongfully convicted of the murder of Malcolm X” .

Crump says he wants to subpoena Halim, now in his 80s, hoping Malcolm X’s killer will finally reveal everything he knows about the real accomplices. The lawyer said there was also a written deathbed confession from a former NYPD cop who claimed he was part of a plan to undermine Malcolm X’s security team.

Asked if he believes government agencies conspired to kill Malcolm, Crump replied: “That’s what we’re saying, yes. They have infiltrated many human rights organizations.” He also claimed that “J. Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI, said, “Do something about Malcolm X.” Less than a year later, he was killed.”

Chris Glorioso of NBC New York contributed to this report.