Tupac Shakur’s stepfather, Mutulu Shakur, is set to be released from prison on parole after spending more than 35 years behind bars.
Shakur, now 72, was imprisoned after being convicted of leading revolutionaries in armed robberies throughout New York and Connecticut, one of which resulted in the death of three people.
He was sentenced to 60 years for conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, as well as bank robbery, armed bank robbery and bank robbery murder, and has been denied release several times over the last few decades.
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Shakur remained in prison as Tupac was killed in 1996, but the US Parole Commission has now granted his release for 16 December.
The decision came after Shakur was diagnosed with stage-3 multiple myeloma, a rare type of cancer which develops in plasma cells and can affect the bones and kidneys. He is currently being held at a federal medical centre.
In the decision, which was made public on Thursday, Commission officials told the 72-year-old: "We now find your medical condition renders you so infirm of mind and body that you are no longer physically capable of committing any Federal, State, or local crime."
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Shakur has undergone dramatic weight loss due to his illness and subsequent treatments, and has been diagnosed with Covid-19 at least twice in the last few years.
According to his attorney Brad Thomson, per NBC News, Shakur has been periodically relying on IV feeding tubes since May, when he was also given less than six months to live.
Jomo Muhammad, who has been advocating for Shakur's release, said there were 'a lot of tears of joy' over the news.
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"There’s still disbelief because we were steadying ourselves for another denial," Muhammad continued. "Now folks are excited about being able to reunite Mutulu with his family. We were crying together. It’s a long time overdue.”
"He was not exonerated. He was given medical parole, which means he could still be snatched back from us," Muhammad continued.
"His release doesn't end his cancer. We're preparing for him to come home, and we have to figure out transportation because his condition has deteriorated so much that he can't fly commercial. He's been able to make it longer than what the doctors have given him, but he still has cancer and he's still dying."
Following his release, Shakur will be monitored for up to four months. His supporters and family are now working to try and get him the best medical care.
Emily Brown