Trump administration releases Martin Luther King Jr assassination files

Washington, July 22 (IANS) US President Donald Trump's Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced that the administration has released over 230,000 pages of documents related to the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK).

The related files were released after nearly 60 years of questions surrounding the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Gabbard said in a post on social media platform X.

"The documents include details about the FBI's investigation into the assassination of MLK, discussion of potential leads, internal FBI memos detailing the progress of the case, information about James Earl Ray's former cellmate who stated he discussed with Ray an alleged assassination plot, and more," according to Gabbard.

On January 23, three days after taking office, Trump signed an executive order to declassify any remaining files from the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy, and MLK, Xinhua news agency reported.

After a court’s order in 1977, the records gathered by the FBI which totaled to more than 240,000 pages were blocked from public viewing and were in turn kept in the National Archives and Records Administration.

King’s family, including his two living children, Martin III and Bernice, were informed about the decision by the Trump administration to release the files and their own teams were reviewing the records. However, several members of the King’s family opposed the release of documents.

MLK stands as one of the most prominent figures in the American civil rights movement. He is widely celebrated for his commitment to nonviolent campaigns against racial segregation and inequality, as well as his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

--IANS

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