Two Men Convicted in Iran-Backed Plot to Assassinate Journalist Masih Alinejad

March 20, 2025 – USA/Iran – 

Two men were convicted in March 2025 for their roles in a failed assassination plot targeting Iranian-American journalist and activist Masih Alinejad. The U.S. federal jury in New York found Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov guilty of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, supporting an operation allegedly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Prosecutors described the plan as part of Tehran’s broader strategy to silence dissidents abroad. Alinejad, known for her outspoken criticism of Iran’s human rights abuses and particularly its treatment of women, has long been a target of Iranian state actors. In 2022, the FBI foiled the plot before it could be carried out.

According to court documents, Amirov and Omarov coordinated with Iranian operatives and hired Khalid Mehdiyev, a man who was arrested outside Alinejad’s Brooklyn home. Mehdiyev was found with an AK-47-style rifle, 66 rounds of ammunition, and surveillance footage of Alinejad’s residence. Evidence presented in court included encrypted communications, photographs of the target, and GPS tracking data, all pointing to a highly organized operation.

The prosecution argued that the assassination plan was not just criminal, but political, intended to instill fear among Iranian dissidents and critics living in exile. Alinejad, who testified during the trial, expressed gratitude to U.S. law enforcement but also deep concern over the extent to which the Iranian regime would go to silence her.

This case follows previous threats against Alinejad, including an earlier 2021 kidnapping plot, also traced back to Iran. The Justice Department has emphasized that such acts of international intimidation will not be tolerated on U.S. soil.

The verdict comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of Iran’s extraterritorial repression. Human rights advocates argue the regime is increasingly resorting to transnational violence against its critics. U.S. officials have pledged continued vigilance to protect dissidents and uphold freedoms threatened by foreign authoritarian actors.

The convicted men face life in prison, and sentencing is scheduled for later this year.

Reference –

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg80kgyjl0o

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/20/us/2-men-convicted-assassination-plot-iranian-american-journalist

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/20/masih-alinejad-murder-case-conviction-iran