THE family of slain black rights leader Malcolm X marked the anniversary of his 1965 assassination on Tuesday by announcing plans to sue a number of federal and local agencies.

The family accuses a number of agencies of playing a role in the death of the legendary black activist and plans to sue them for $100 million (£82.9m). 

The Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York Police Department are among the agencies being targeted.

Two of his daughters, Ilyasah Shabazz and Qubilah Shabazz, were joined by lawyer Ben Crump at a news conference at the site of the former Audubon Ballroom in upper Manhattan, where Mr X was fatally shot as a crowd gathered to hear him speak on February 21, 1965.

For decades questions have circulated over who was responsible for his death.

Researcher Abdur-Rahman Muhammad questioned the original evidence relating to the assassination in his 2019 documentary Who Killed Malcolm X?

Three men were originally convicted of the assassination, but two were exonerated in 2021 after a renewed investigation into the cases, prompted by the documentary, showed the evidence used to gain convictions was shaky and that authorities had held back some information.

Ilyasah Shabazz, the co-administrator of her father’s estate, filed notices of the claim, which is the first step in the process, saying that the agencies “conspired with each other and with other individuals and acted, and failed to act, in such a way as to bring about the wrongful death of Malcolm X.”

Ms Shabazz told a news conference: “For years our family has fought for the truth to come to light.” 

She said: “We want justice served for our father.”

Emails seeking comment were sent to the CIA, FBI, Department of Justice and New York City’s legal department. 

Mr Crump noted the anniversary date and said that ever since then, “there has been speculation as to who was involved in the assassination of Malcolm X.”

He cited the 2021 exonerations and said that government agencies including the Manhattan district attorney, the NYPD and the FBI “had factual evidence, exculpatory evidence that they fraudulently concealed from the men who were wrongfully convicted for the assassination of Malcolm X.”

Asked by reporters whether he believes government agencies conspired to assassinate Mr X, Mr Crump said, “That is what we are alleging, yes. They infiltrated many civil rights organisations.”