Assata Shakur, an activist with the Black Liberation Army exiled in Cuba for four decades, has died in Havana, aged 78.
Shakur, also known as Joanne Chesimard, died Thursday of unspecified health conditions and advanced age, Cuba's foreign affairs ministry said in a statement on Friday.
She had been on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list for years after she escaped in 1979 from a New Jersey women's prison, where she was serving a life sentence following her murder conviction in a shootout that killed a New Jersey state trooper and a fellow activist.
Shakur maintained her innocence and reappeared in Cuba in 1984 where she was granted asylum by former president Fidel Castro.
Born in July 1947 in New York City, she became involved in political activism while in college, starting with the Black Panther Party. She later joined the more radical Black Liberation Army.
Her trial for the death of state trooper Werner Foerster was heavily criticized, and many questioned the fairness of the proceedings.
Shakur's legacy continues through music and activism, inspiring many, including her late nephew, rapper Tupac Shakur. She is survived by her daughter, Kakuya Shakur, who expressed profound grief over her loss.
