Two men have been convicted in a murder-for-hire plot targeting Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad at her Brooklyn home, a scheme prosecutors say was orchestrated and funded by Iran’s government.
A New York federal jury found Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov guilty of conspiring to assassinate Alinejad in July 2022.
The men, described by prosecutors as Russian mobsters, were convicted on multiple charges, including murder-for-hire, firearms possession, and money laundering conspiracy. They now face lengthy prison sentences.
Alinejad, a vocal critic of Iran’s mandatory headscarf laws, has long been a target of threats and intimidation from Tehran.
Prosecutors revealed that Iran’s government had previously attempted to silence her through a failed kidnapping plot in 2021, which led to the arrest of four Iranian intelligence officers. When those efforts failed, a $500,000 bounty was placed on her life, according to U.S. officials.
Following the verdict, Alinejad expressed a mix of emotions, calling it a “defeat and humiliation” for the Iranian regime.
Iran has dismissed the allegations as “ridiculous and baseless.”
The conviction marks a significant step in the U.S. government’s efforts to combat foreign-backed threats against dissidents and journalists.
Source: NewsandVibes.com
