Men exonerated in killing of Malcolm X to receive $36 million from New York

New York will be paying a combined $36 million to two people who were exonerated in the assassination of Malcolm X. The announcement was made after two separate lawsuits were filed against the city and state for false accusations and mental harassment.

The New York City agreed to pay $26 million to the duo - Muhammad Abdul Aziz and Khalil Islam - to settle the lawsuit while the state said that it will pay an additional $10 million.

During an interaction with ABC News, a New York City Law Department spokesperson said that the settlement offered to the duo "brings some measure of justice to individuals who spent decades in prison and bore the stigma of being falsely accused of murdering an iconic figure."

"Based on our review, this office stands by the opinion of former Manhattan District Attorney Vance who stated, based on his investigation, that 'there is one ultimate conclusion: Mr. Aziz and Mr. Islam were wrongfully convicted of this crime,'" he added while explaining the latest developments.

Aziz and Islam were arrested in 1965 for the murder of the religious leader Malcolm X and both of them were in prison for 20 years. While Aziz was released in 1985, Islam was released in 1987.

Aziz continued to fight the authorities after his release, but Islam died in 2009 at the age of 74.

"If God is on your side. it doesn't matter who's against you. God's on my side," Aziz said in an interview conducted by ABC News in February 2022.