Consumer Law
The Man Who Was Exonerated in the Murder of Malcolm X Sues New York
A man who was wrongfully convicted of the murder of Malcolm X and exonerated last month is suing New York state for $20 million for the “serious miscarriages of justice” that led to his wrongful conviction.
Muhammad Aziz, 83, was one of three men convicted in 1966 of Malcolm X’s murder in the first degree. He spent 20 years in prison and was released in 1985. Another man, Khalil Islam, was also convicted and was released in 1987. Islam died in 2009. A third man, Mujahid Halim was also convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Halim testified at a trial that he shot Malcolm X, and said, of Aziz and Islam, “neither of them had any involvement with the murder of Malcolm X,” according to the suit.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance’s office began a review of the case in 2020 after a Netflix special raised questions about the case, and both Islam and Aziz’s convictions were vacated in November.
