The family of Malcolm X has made good on their promise, filing a $100 million lawsuit accusing federal and New York City agencies of orchestrating and covering up the civil rights icon’s assassination.
The complaint, filed in Manhattan federal court, alleges that the FBI, CIA, NYPD and other agencies played a direct role in the 1965 murder of Malcolm X and the subsequent wrongful conviction of two innocent men .
“This case involves a corrupt, illegal and unconstitutional relationship between law enforcement, including the defendants in this case, and a ruthless killer who went unchecked for years and was actively concealed, condoned, protected and assisted by government agents,” the Shabazz family attorney said. Crump said.
The Shabazz family, led by Ilyasah Shabazz as estate administrator, alleges that the NYPD and federal agencies knew in advance of threats to Malcolm X’s life but failed to intervene.
The lawsuit details how government agents deliberately removed security from the dance hall where Malcolm X was murdered, arrested his security guard days before the assassination, and failed to protect him from known harm.
“Malcolm X was deprived of his federal constitutional rights, deprived of life and liberty, and suffered severe physical, emotional and monetary losses,” Crump said.
The documents allege that after the assassination, the FBI and NYPD worked together to cover up their roles in Malcolm X’s death.
The lawsuit alleges the agencies manipulated witnesses, suppressed evidence and led to the wrongful convictions of Mohammad Aziz and Khalil Islam.
“This misconduct resulted in the imprisonment and defamation of these two innocent men,” the lawsuit states.
The men’s wrongful convictions were recently overturned after an investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Innocence Project revealed serious failings and deliberate cover-ups by law enforcement.
The two men, Aziz, born Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson, won a $26 million settlement.
The lawsuit also points to a 2021 apology from New York County District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, who acknowledged that the prosecution of Aziz and Islam was based on “serious and unacceptable violations of the law and an act of public trust” and disclosed important documents that had been prosecuted. Seized for more than 50 years.
Crump emphasized that this lawsuit is part of an ongoing effort to uncover the truth and hold those responsible accountable.
The lawsuit seeks $100 million in compensatory and punitive damages as well as legal fees and costs for Malcolm X’s wrongful death.
The lawsuit alleges that the actions of federal and New York City agencies caused severe emotional and financial hardship to the Shabazz family while depriving them of Malcolm X’s “companionship and his financial, spiritual, emotional and moral guidance.”
“The Shabazz family lived their lives without their father and grandfather, and his death was filled with suspicion,” Crump explained.
The document details the systemic racism and targeted surveillance that Malcolm X faced.
The lawsuit, drawn from newly discovered documents and statements from federal officials, details how the FBI and NYPD coordinated their efforts to silence Malcolm X.
The lawsuit alleges that the government viewed Malcolm X as a threat because of his international advocacy for black liberation.
His vision for black empowerment and global unity made him a target of the FBI’s COINTELPRO program, which was designed to discredit and destabilize black leaders.
The lawsuit concludes with the family claiming justice has long been denied, but with recent developments they are now demanding accountability from institutions and individuals responsible for their father’s death.
The Shabazz family hopes the courts will finally provide them with the answers they have been seeking for more than fifty years.
Their goal was not just financial reparations but full recognition of the government’s role in the assassination of Malcolm X and the subsequent cover-up.
At a press conference last year, Ilyasa Shabazz discussed the legal action.
“For years, our family has been working to uncover the truth about his murder. Shabazz was two years old when Malcolm was killed, and her mother, Dr. Betty Shabazz, and most of her sisters watched on February 21 That infamous day.
