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January 29, 2026 – Ira/USA –
A Brooklyn federal court has sentenced 98-year-old Mansour Arbabsiar to 15 years in prison for his role in a deadly international plot to assassinate an Iranian-American journalist critical of the Iranian government. The sentencing on January 28, 2026, concludes a protracted legal saga that exposed foreign-linked efforts to target dissident voices on US soil and underscored ongoing concerns about threats to press freedom and political expression.
Arbabsiar, who admitted to conspiring with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its Quds Force to carry out the assassination, was convicted in 2023 for the 2011 plot to kill the journalist in New York City. Prosecutors said the target was a vocal critic of Iran’s leadership whose columns and commentary addressed human rights abuses and political repression. The plot involved plans to use explosive devices and rely on contacts in Mexico to carry out the killing.
During the sentencing hearing, US prosecutors described the crime as a “brazen attack on freedom of expression” and a stark reminder of external threats faced by journalists who challenge authoritarian regimes from abroad. They urged the court to impose a substantial sentence to reflect the seriousness of plotting violence against a journalist within the United States.
Arbabsiar’s defence attorneys requested leniency, citing his advanced age and health concerns, characterising him as a “well-intentioned” individual misled by others. However, Judge Margo Brodie rejected those arguments and emphasised that the defendant’s advanced age did not diminish the gravity of conspiring to murder a tool to silence dissenting speech. The 15-year term, to be served in a federal correctional facility, far exceeds the prison term typically sought for similar offences in cases involving threats to journalists.
The case dates back more than a decade, when Arbabsiar, then a resident of Texas, agreed with IRGC operatives to orchestrate the plot. Evidence presented at trial included communications indicating intent to hire hitmen and procure explosives to be used against the journalist. Although the plan was never realised, authorities characterised it as a serious threat to both the intended victim and to the broader principle that journalists must be free to report without fear of lethal retaliation.
The conviction and sentencing were welcomed by press freedom advocates, who noted that threats and violent schemes against journalists remain a pressing global issue, especially for those who cover human rights abuses and challenge powerful governments. The case has been cited as a clear example of the lengths to which authoritarian actors may go to target critics overseas.
The sentence also reflects the US government’s broader stance that attacks on journalists represent not only individual crimes but also assaults on democratic principles of free expression and the public’s right to information. Federal officials reiterated their commitment to tracking and prosecuting threats to journalists, whether domestic or internationally linked.
Reference –
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/28/nyregion/iranian-dissident-murder-plot-sentencing.html
