Lawyers for Muhammad A. Aziz and Khalil Islam Issue Statements on Historic and Long Overdue Exonerations for the 1965 Assassination of Malcolm X
Justice to be finally served for two innocent men who were wrongly convicted 55 years ago and spent a combined 42 years in prison
Compelling evidence of innocence known to the FBI and NYPD was hidden from the defense at trial and only recently revealed through a reinvestigation of the case
NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- David B. Shanies Law Office (or "Shanies Law") and the Innocence Project issued the following statements today regarding the long overdue exonerations of Muhammad A. Aziz and Khalil Islam, two innocent men wrongly convicted 55 years ago for the 1965 assassination of Malcolm X.
It is expected that with the agreement of the New York County District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Shanies Law and the Innocence Project will file a joint motion on Thursday to vacate the 1966 convictions of Mr. Aziz and Mr. Islam. The joint motion is the culmination of a collaborative reinvestigation of the case which began in January 2020 and unearthed new evidence of Mr. Aziz and Mr. Islam's innocence, including FBI documents that had been available at the time of trial but were withheld from both the defense and prosecution.
DAVID B. SHANIES, Shanies Law
"This marks a significant and long overdue milestone for Muhammad Aziz and the memory of Khalil Islam. These innocent men experienced the agony of decades in prison for a crime they did not commit. They were robbed of their freedom in the prime of their lives and branded the killers of a towering civil rights leader. Muhammad is now 83, and Khalil passed away years ago without ever having had the chance to see his name cleared. They, their families, and their communities have endured decades of pain and suffering. The tragic and unjust events of the past can never be erased but exonerating these men is a righteous and well-deserved affirmation of their true character. We are grateful to the New York County District Attorney's Office for its collaboration, transparency, and fairness during the past two years that led to this exoneration."
DEBORAH FRANCOIS, Shanies Law
"What was widely known 55 years ago is now being formally acknowledged: that Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam are innocent, and that they should have never been arrested, charged, or convicted for a murder they did not commit. Muhammad's and Khalil's convictions were the product of gross official misconduct and a criminal justice system weighed against people of color. Their exoneration was decades in the making and is proof that we need—and are able—to do better."
BARRY SCHECK, Innocence Project
"The assassination of Malcolm X was a historic event that demanded a scrupulous investigation and prosecution but, instead, produced one of the most blatant miscarriages of justice that I have ever seen. Officially correcting the false historical narrative around one of the most significant events in 20th century U.S. history allows us to learn from and prevent future miscarriages of justice. Indeed, as George Orwell once said: 'he who controls the past controls the future.' Nowhere is that seen more clearly than in this case."
VANESSA POTKIN, Innocence Project
"It took five decades of unprecedented work by scholars and activists and the creation of a Conviction Integrity Program at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office willing to engage in a true joint re-investigation for these wrongful convictions to be officially acknowledged and rectified. The recently unearthed evidence of Mr. Aziz and Mr. Islam's innocence that had been hidden by the NYPD and FBI not only invalidates their convictions, it also highlights the many unanswered questions about the government's complicity in the assassination – a separate and important issue that, itself, demands further inquiry."
The Innocence Project and Shanies Law acknowledge in particular the extraordinary efforts of Charles King, Deputy Chief of the Conviction Integrity Program and Senior Trial Counsel Peter Casolaro who worked previously on the case of the Exonerated Five. Together with the New York County District Attorney's they led a cooperative and transparent conviction review process that made this achievement possible.
About David B. Shanies Law Office
The David B. Shanies Law Office is a public interest law firm representing victims of wrongful convictions, police and prosecutorial misconduct, anti-LGBTQ+ bias, prison abuse, sexual exploitation, and other injustice. 100% of the firm's work is devoted to civil rights litigation and exonerations. Through its active trial and litigation practice and vast experience in wrongful conviction cases, the firm has exonerated and freed innocent people from prison, brought about major policy and legislative reforms, and won tens of millions of dollars in compensation for its clients through trials and settlements.
About the Innocence Project
The Innocence Project, which is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, is a national litigation and public policy organization dedicated to freeing the staggering number of innocent people who are wrongfully incarcerated and reforming the systems responsible for their unjust imprisonment. Since its founding in 1992, the Innocence Project has exonerated more than 200 people and advanced transformative laws, standards, and the practices to help make our criminal legal systems more just and equitable for all.
Contact Information
For David B. Shanies Law Office
Ellen Davis 323.892.5552
Steven Goldberg 323.892.5562
[email protected]
Julia Lucivero
[email protected]
Cell: 508.769.8094
SOURCE David B. Shanies Law Office; Innocence Project
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