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July 10, 2025

We hope July is going well for you all and that everyone is safe and spreading love to their loved ones! We have a potential good story brewing out of a horrific incident …
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** Conviction Integrity Unit Agrees to Review Mahdi Ali’s Murder Conviction
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After fifteen and a half years in prison for a crime he says he didn’t commit, a fresh burst of hope has worked its way into the cell of Mahdi Ali. His legal team has filed an application with Hennepin County’s new Conviction Integrity Unit and recently received assurance from the unit’s director, Andrew Markquart, that the office would give Ali’s case its “full attention.”

Just two months after forming ([link removed]) , The Coalition to Free Mahdi Ali ([link removed]) continues to grow, with teachers, organizers and community members committing to fight to liberate Ali from his life sentence. On June 10, 2025, the coalition held a press conference at the Hennepin County Government Center — watch the powerful video ([link removed]) below.
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New Conviction Integrity Unit Agrees to Review Mahdi Ali’s Case [Vimeo link ([link removed] ) | YouTube link ([link removed]) ]
New Conviction Integrity Unit Agrees to Review Mahdi Ali’s Case ([link removed])

Ali was just 15 years old when he was convicted and given a life sentence for a 2010 triple murder in South Minneapolis. Unicorn Riot’s 2024 investigation ([link removed]) into Ali’s case found dozens of issues in his conviction. We found that the case was largely based on unreliable testimonies from people implicated in the same crime — one of whom later recanted claims of Mahdi’s involvement — along with support from the multinational retail giant Target Corp’s forensics team, who testified at trial against the teen.
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The new grassroots campaign called The Coalition to Free Mahdi Ali ([link removed]) launched April 19, 2025, to demand justice and freedom for Mahdi Ali. The Minneapolis teacher’s union is calling for Ali’s exoneration and release along with the Target boycott organizers, and a former Minneapolis City Council member has called for a new trial. Over 160 people have signed a Change.org petition ([link removed]) supporting Ali’s exoneration.
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Target of Injustice: Free Mahdi Ali Campaign Kicks Off ([link removed])

More information on how Target Corporation funded prosecutors in Hennepin County and helped drive Black youth incarceration in Minneapolis …

Target Corp. pioneered the Community Prosecution Program in the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) more than two decades ago during the era of mass incarceration. As part of a broad anti-crime campaign that employed new advanced technology and reshaped the criminal justice system in Minneapolis, the program had particularly devastating effects on Black residents.

“The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and the Minneapolis Police [MPD] colluded with Target Corporation to send legions of Black boys and men to state prison.” - Michelle Gross, Communities United Against Police Brutality
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For 10 years now, Unicorn Riot has been on the frontlines covering social & environmental movements often ignored by legacy news. Help us continue providing an unfiltered, nonprofit platform for diverse communities, storytellers & media makers. Donate today. ([link removed])
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