Muslim civil rights and advocacy group calls on Fulton County DA to vacate conviction for the crime Otis Jackson has admitted committing
(PHILADELPHIA, P.A., 11/24/2025) – CAIR-Philadelphia, the Philadelphia chapter of Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today joined CAIR-Georgia chapter and CAIR’s national headquarters, in extending condolences to the family of civil rights icon Imam Jamil Al-Amin, formerly known as H. Rap Brown, who passed away in prison yesterday after spending 23 years in jail for a crime he did not commit.
CAIR and CAIR-Georgia also reiterated their past call on the Fulton County District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unity to complete the review of wrongful conviction and clear his name. CAIR also condemned the federal prison service for failing to properly treat Imam Al-Amin’s cancer. CAIR and others had repeatedly warned the Bureau of Prisons that his health was deteriorating.
In 2002, amid both procedural and evidentiary irregularities, Imam Jamil Al-Amin was wrongly convicted for the murder of a Fulton County Sheriff’s Deputy and injury of another deputy, crimes he denied committing. Since then, the real shooter, federal inmate Otis Jackson, has repeatedly and credibly confessed under oath to committing the crime.
The Fulton County District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit had opened an investigation into his case and interviewed Jackson, but still had not called for the vacation of Imam Al-Amin’s conviction despite clear evidence of his innocence.
During the Civil Rights Movement, Imam Al-Amin made his name on the front lines of the civil rights movement as a leader of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. Then known as H. Rap Brown, he was engaged in the fight against state sanctioned discrimination and racism. He later converted to Islam and became an imam. As the leader of Atlanta’s West End neighborhood, Imam Al-Amin led many African-Americans to Islam while pushing drug use and crime out of the local community. In Philadelphia, a number of prominent mosques are affiliated with the community of Imam Al-Amin and continue to advocate for his freedom together with many other community advocates.
Imam Al-Amin was initially held in state custody after his wrongful conviction, but in an unprecedented move, was transferred to federal custody under the guise of security concerns when it reality a major reason was that many inmates in Georgia prisons were embracing Islam as a result of interacting with him.
In a statement, CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Ahmet Tekelioglu said:
“To God we belong and to Him we return. We honor the life and legacy of Imam Jamil Al-Amin, a towering figure in the long arc of America’s struggle for justice. As a civil rights warrior, he stood on the front lines with moral clarity and unwavering courage, challenging systems of discrimination and inspiring generations to claim their dignity and demand their rights. Imam Jamil’s leadership, his commitment to community uplift, and his profound spiritual grounding continue to light the way for all who labor for freedom. May his relentless pursuit of truth and justice continue to guide our collective work.”
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
– END –
CONTACT: CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Ahmet Tekelioglu, 617-401-5397, atekelioglu@cair.com.
