One of the men who was wrongfully convicted and spent 20 years in prison for the murder of civil rights leader Malcolm X is suing the city of New York for $40 million.
Lawyers for Muhammad Aziz filed the complaint on Thursday. Aziz, who is now 84, is suing for the denial of his due process rights, malicious prosecution, and negligence by law enforcement.
Malcolm X was murdered in 1965.
Three men were accused of the crime. Aziz was arrested in 1965 along with Khalil Islam.
More than 55 years after Malcolm X was assassinated, Aziz was cleared of the murder last year. Authorities discovered many flaws in the case against him and at least one other man accused of killing the civil rights leader.
Islam served 22 years in prison and died in 2009. He was posthumously cleared of wrongdoing last year.
Since the death of Malcolm X, many have contended that at least two of the men accused had nothing to do with the murder. Aziz was at home with a leg injury at the time Malcolm X was killed.
In 1966, Mujahid Abdul Halim, also known as Talmadge Hayer and Thomas Hagan, testified during the murder trial that Aziz and Islam were both innocent.
More about the lawsuit and Aziz’s wrongful imprisonment can be found here.
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