Mutula Shakur, stepfather to the west coast rap legend Tupac Shakur, has filed a lawsuit against the United States Government, alleging that he is being kept under incarceration illegally.
According to The Source, Mutula believes that his Constitutional First Amendment rights are being violated by his continuous incarceration, and he has been nothing but a force of positivity for his community.
The lawsuit reads, "As established by letters in the record and Plaintiff’s statement at several parole hearings, throughout his incarceration Plaintiff has been outspoken against gang violence and crime. He has consistently expressed support for peaceful and constructive changes in all matters involving racial disparities and social justice. He has never in 30 years of incarceration supported or in any way implied support for criminal conduct or violence to achieve social justice."
Mutula was sentenced to 60 years in prison back in 1987, for robbing a Brinks truck of approximately $2 million and killing three security guards. He was also convicted of helping Tupac's aunt, Assata Shakur, escape prison in order to flee to Cuba, where she currently stays under political asylum.
According to Mutula's lawsuit, his influence on Tupac's music should demonstrate his positive ideals. The suit reads, "Plaintiff has led a highly productive and exemplary life in prison, influencing his stepson Tupac Shakur’s career as a worldwide renowned hip hop artist with messages of non-violence that reached millions of young people,"
Mutulu was once a member of the Black Panthers and was a target for surveillance under the FBI's controversial COINTELPRO program.