Iranian Dissident Masih Alinejad Targeted in Foiled Assassination Plot by Tehran-Linked Operatives
Iranian Dissident Masih Alinejad Targeted in Foiled Assassination Plot by Tehran-Linked Operatives
A federal court in Manhattan has convicted Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov on charges including murder-for-hire and attempted murder, in connection with an extraordinary plot orchestrated by the Iranian government to assassinate prominent Iranian-American dissident Masih Alinejad on U.S. soil. The verdict brings a close to the legal proceedings stemming from the chilling events of July 2022.
Prosecutors revealed that Iranian officials allegedly hired Amirov and Omarov for $500,000 to silence Alinejad, a fierce critic of the Tehran regime and vocal advocate for women’s rights, after previous attempts failed. Khalid Mehdiyev, the would-be triggerman, testified as a government witness after reportedly pleading guilty to his involvement in the conspiracy.
The plot was foiled when police, observing Mehdiyev’s suspicious behavior near Alinejad’s Brooklyn home in late July 2022, pulled him over for a traffic violation. A subsequent search of his vehicle uncovered an AK-47-type assault rifle, ammunition, and over $1,000 in cash. Mehdiyev had allegedly acquired the weapon and conducted surveillance on Alinejad, exchanging messages with Amirov and Omarov about the planned assassination.
Alinejad, who has not returned to her home since the plot was uncovered, has used her platform since leaving Iran in 2009 to champion women’s rights and freedom, frequently facing threats for her activism. The convictions underscore the grave transnational threats posed by foreign governments targeting dissidents within the United United States.
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