Who Is Assata Shakur? Rex Tillerson Wants Cuba To Hand Over Black Lives Matter Hero And Fugitive

Assata Shakur, convicted murderer, revolutionary icon and aunt of rapper Tupac Shakur, has been living in exile in Cuba for three decades after escaping from a U.S. prison while serving a life sentence for the killing of a New Jersey state trooper. But her life in exile could be over soon: Rex Tillerson wants her back on U.S. soil -- and in jail.

Tillerson, President Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state - who is likely to be confirmed -- said in a questionnaire submitted as part of the confirmation process that he would "engage bilaterally and multilaterally" to bring Shakur, whose birth name is Joanne Chesimard, to justice.

Shakur was convicted of first-degree murder and armed robbery in 1977 in connection with the killing of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster. Foerster's killing occurred after Shakur, who was a member of the Black Liberation Army, was pulled over with two other BLA members. Both Foerster and an BLA member were killed in a confrontation that followed, and Shakur was badly injured. Two years after her conviction, Shakur escaped from prison while members of the radical group "the Collective" held two guards hostage. She fled to Cuba, where she was given political asylum and has been living since the early 1980s. In 2013, the FBI made her the first woman ever put on it's Most Wanted Terrorists list. She has always maintained her innocence.

Shakur wrote an autobiography while in exile, titled "Assata: An Autobiography." She has been cited as an inspiration by some Black Lives Matter activists.

Tillerson's comments come as Trump, who has criticized President Obama's normalizing of relations with Cuba, decides how to engage with the island nation.

"If confirmed, I will engage with Cuba but continue to press for reform of its oppressive regime," Tillerson said. "I will support human rights defenders and democracy activists in Cuba, empower civil society, defend freedom of expression, and promote improved Internet access and I will ask our allies to do the same.