Atlanta, Georgia — The family of Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin (formerly H. Rap Brown) announces with profound sorrow that he passed away today while in federal custody at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina.
Imam Jamil Al-Amin, a global human rights voice, former SNCC chairman, former Black Panther Party Minister of Justice, and longtime community spiritual guide, died after a prolonged period of severe medical decline. His family, legal team, and advocates had been urgently requesting judicial intervention due to his failing health and need to correct a grave injustice.
For decades, questions have surrounded the fairness of his trial. Newly uncovered evidence—including previously unseen FBI surveillance files, inconsistencies in eyewitness accounts, and third-party confessions—raised serious concerns that Imam Al-Amin did not receive the fair trial guaranteed under the Constitution.
Even the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals condemned key aspects of the prosecution’s conduct:
“We regret that we cannot provide Mr. Al-Amin the relief he seeks, even though we conclude the State’s questioning of the defendant in its closing argument violated his Fifth Amendment right not to testify, and that the violation was serious and repeated.”
— 11th Cir. Opinion, Al-Amin v. Warden
Despite these findings, Imam Jamil Al-Amin remained wrongfully incarcerated in federal custody until the time of his death.
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In May 2025, Davis Bozeman Johnson Law, the Innocence Project, and the Law Office of Maha A. Elkolalli jointly filed an Extraordinary Motion for New Trial, seeking to bring newly discovered evidence and constitutional violations before the court.
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Statement from the Family
Kairi Al-Amin, Son of
Imam Jamil Al-Amin
“On behalf of our entire family, I thank every single person who prayed, stood, marched, researched, wrote, advocated, and fought to clear my father’s name. Your love sustained us. Your belief in his innocence strengthened us.
We ask for your continued prayers as we mourn a father, a husband, a brother, a leader, and a servant of the people.”
The family announces that the time and location of his funeral (Janazah) will be shared shortly, and the community will be welcome to attend. A public celebration of life may be announced at a later date.
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Statements from Legal Team
Attorney Mawuli Mel Davis, Davis Bozeman Johnson Law
“We entered the case earlier this year and helped prepare an Extraordinary Motion for New Trial that, tragically, was not heard in time. After reviewing the documents and evidence, it became overwhelmingly clear to our firm that Imam Jamil Al-Amin did not receive a fair trial. We honor all of the lawyers who worked tirelessly before and with us in the long fight for his freedom and justice.
Our commitment remains to make a clear and undeniable record that he was denied a fair trial, suffered grave medical neglect, and was subjected to federal surveillance and suppression that threatens the freedom of us all.”
Attorney Maha Elkolalli / Law Office of Maha A. Elkolalli
“Imam Jamil’s case would shock the conscience of any attorney who believes in the basic human rights and dignities promised under our Constitution. The fight to clear his name is not over. Those with the power to correct this wrong acknowledged that he never received a fair trial, and that his constitutional rights were violated. He suffered unjust harm and severe medical neglect in some of this country’s worst prisons. It is a travesty that he was not permitted to spend his final days with his family.
Our government has a long history of erasing those who challenged the status quo. Imam Jamil Al-Amin leaves behind a seven-decade legacy of fighting for human rights and systemic reform, grounded in a deep love for oppressed people around the world. We must continue to carry that legacy forward.”
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Background
• Eyewitness accounts presented at trial conflicted with physical descriptions of the shooter.
• A separate individual confessed multiple times to the shooting.
• Newly uncovered FBI documents reveal continuous surveillance of Imam Jamil Al-Amin from the era of COINTELPRO through the time of the 2000 shooting, contradicting testimony given at trial.
• In Imam Al-Amin’s final days, requests were made for judicial intervention due to his inability to walk, speak, or eat.
