Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian man who was convicted for assassinating Senator and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, is appealing California Governor Gavin Newsom's decision to reject his parole in January, The Associated Press reported on Wednesday.
Sirhan shot Kennedy after he delivered a speech regarding his victory in the state's primary election.
Newsom said Sirhan is still a threat to the public and cited the fact that he denies he killed Kennedy as a reason he denied parole.
Sirhan's attorney accuses governor of denying his right to due process
Angela Berry, an attorney for Sirhan, claims there is no proof that her client is still a threat to society and has filed a writ of habeas corpus requesting that a judge determine that the governor violated state law and denied Sirhan's constitutional right to due process, according to the AP report.
Furthermore, Berry accused Newsom of abusing the parole system for his own political biases because of the fact that he claims Kennedy is his political hero and keeps photographs of him in his offices.
Kennedy family split on support for Sirhan's release
While Kennedy's sons Douglas Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, Jr. have declared their support for Sirhan's release, Kennedy's wife and six of his other children oppose granting him parole, according to the report.
Sirhan is set for a new hearing before the parole board in March, AP added.