US declassifies 230,000 files on MLK's assassination

The administration of US President Donald Trump has released FBI documents related to the assassination of the leader of the African American civil rights movement, preacher Martin Luther King Jr., announced Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on the social network X.

According to her, 230,000 files have been released after almost 60 years. "The documents include details of the FBI's investigation into the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., discussion of possible theories, internal FBI memos with a detailed description of the case's progress, information about James Earl Ray's former cellmate who claimed to have discussed the alleged assassination plot with Ray, and more," she wrote.

Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most famous leaders of the African American civil rights movement, was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 39. King's death led to a wave of protests and mass riots across the country, which covered more than 100 cities and became one of the largest protest movements in the US since the Civil War.

James Earl Ray, a repeat offender, was sentenced to 99 years in prison for the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. He died in prison in 1998. However, the preacher's death has given rise to numerous conspiracy theories, according to which not only a lone individual but also organized groups could have been involved in the assassination attempt.

In January 2025, Trump ordered the preparation of a plan for the full disclosure of materials from the cases related to the assassinations of the 35th US President John F. Kennedy, his younger brother, former US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and preacher Martin Luther King Jr.