U.S. Official says extradition of Assata Shakur is still possible

Officials in New Jersey are not letting go the issue of Assata Shakur lightly, despite being told numerous times that Cuban officials have said the topic is completely off limits.

According to State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke, now that President Barack Obama has moved the diplomatic ball further by taking Cuba off a list of nations that sponsor terrorism, the status of Shakur and other convicts who sought asylum in Cuba will be up for discussion, reports NorthJersey.com.

Shakur, also known as Joanne Chesimard, was convicted of killing a New Jersey state trooper in 1977. She escaped prison and in 1984 was granted political asylum by Cuba, where she’s lived ever since.

The article reports the State Department said talks with Cuban officials included mention of Assata Shakur.

However, Cuban officials have not responded to media inquiries about the validity of that statement. Moreover, what was actually discussed about the possibility of extraditing Shakur back to the U.S.

Shakur’s lawyer, Lennox Hinds, a professor at Rutgers University, thinks that’s the case.

“I think it is a spin being put out by the U.S. government. I have no reason to give any credence to it,” Hinds said. He told NorthJersey.com that Cuban authorities recently told him that Shakur’s political asylum would not be revoked.

Read more at NorthJersey.com