Two alleged mobsters were found guilty on Thursday of conspiring to assassinate Iranian American journalist Masih Alinejad at her residence in New York City as part of a murder-for-hire plot funded by the Iranian government. The verdict was delivered at a federal court in New York following a two-week trial that included compelling testimony from a hired gunman and Alinejad herself, who is an author, activist, and contributor to Voice of America.
Alinejad, who was not present in court during the verdict, expressed her emotions to The Associated Press, stating that she was relieved by the outcome. She emphasized that while the individuals behind the assassination plot have been convicted, the true orchestrators of the crime still hold power in Iran. Alinejad described the verdict as a “powerful gift from the American government” to the people of Iran, demonstrating that justice is being served.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky and Leslie R. Backschies, head of the FBI’s New York office, commended the verdicts, noting that targeting U.S. citizens will not be tolerated, regardless of the perpetrators’ location. The convicted individuals, Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, were identified as crime bosses in the Russian mob. Despite defense claims of innocence and flawed evidence, the jury found them guilty.
Alinejad, 48, was marked by Iran for her advocacy work, particularly her online campaigns encouraging Iranian women to defy strict dress codes by exposing their hair in public. Prosecutors revealed that Iranian intelligence officials initially planned to abduct Alinejad in the U.S. in 2020 and 2021 to silence her dissent. When this failed, Iran allegedly offered a substantial sum for her assassination in July 2022 after previous attempts to intimidate her proved unsuccessful.
The U.S. government has accused Iran of supporting various assassination plots on American soil, including targeting former President Donald Trump during his campaign. Tehran has denied involvement in such schemes, despite mounting evidence. Alinejad, who relocated to the U.S. in 2009 following a ban on her journalistic activities in Iran, built a significant online following through her “My Stealthy Freedom” campaign, empowering Iranian women to protest against oppressive laws.
During the trial, prosecutors detailed how the Iranian government collaborated with organized crime figures like Amirov and Omarov to eliminate Alinejad. Khalid Mehdiyev, a former Russian mob member turned hitman, testified that he was hired to carry out the assassination but was apprehended by law enforcement before executing the plan in July 2022. The investigation remains ongoing, with additional charges filed against a senior Iranian military official and others involved in the plot.
In a separate incident, a member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was charged with plotting to kill former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton, further escalating tensions between the two nations. Alinejad has since been forced to relocate multiple times for safety, expressing solidarity with her supporters in Iran who lack the same protection. Despite the challenges, she remains resolute in amplifying the voices of marginalized communities and continuing her advocacy work.
