NAfter more than 50 years in prison, the murderer of American politician Robert Kennedy will soon be released. The Los Angeles Times and CNN reported unanimously that a parole committee in California issued a speech on Friday demanding the release of Sirhan Sirhan, a 77-year-old Palestinian.
Sirhan has been in jail for 53 years. He applied for release 16 times and was rejected 15 times. The final decision to release the prison rests with California Governor Gavin Newsom (Gavin Newsom). After 90 days of review, he will receive the decision of the release committee. The committee’s decision must now be reviewed by another agency before it can be submitted to the governor of California. That may still prevent the release.
Sentenced to death in 1969
Sirhan, a Palestinian born in Jerusalem, shot and killed Kennedy in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968—just a few hours after he won the Democratic presidential candidate in California. The US judiciary regarded Kennedy’s pro-Israel stance as the motivation of the 24-year-old perpetrator at the time. Five years ago, Kennedy’s younger brother and US President John F. Kennedy was shot dead in Dallas, Texas.
Sirhan was sentenced to death in 1969. After California suspended the death penalty in 1972, the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. The last time he requested his release was in 2016, but his application was rejected.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Sirhan’s lawyer Angela Berry stated that since 1972, detainees have not committed any serious violations of prison rules. Kennedy’s two sons also publicly expressed their support for his release. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote in a letter that he believed his father recognized Sirhan’s impressive recovery. Douglas Kennedy said that when detainees no longer pose a threat to themselves or others, they should be released.
