“More than two years have passed since a chilling assassination plot was foiled outside the New York home of Iranian dissident and journalist Masih Alinejad. The shocking discovery of an assault rifle with a destroyed serial number, 66 rounds of ammunition, and a ski mask in the perpetrator’s car led authorities to uncover a sinister plan orchestrated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran. And now, the two men accused of directing this heinous act are set to stand trial in Federal District Court in Manhattan.
Russian mobsters Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov are facing charges of murder for hire and conspiracy, shedding light on the extreme lengths the Iranian government will go to silence its critics – even those living outside of its borders.
In 2023, when federal officials first revealed the details of the assassination plot against Alinejad, Attorney General Merrick Garland stated, “We will not tolerate attempts by a foreign power to threaten, silence, or harm Americans.” This statement serves as a reminder of the gravity of the situation and the importance of holding those responsible accountable for their actions.
Alinejad, a former journalist in Iran, was forced to flee the country in 2009. Now living in exile, she hosts a show with Voice of America’s Persian Service. When contacted for comment on the upcoming trial, Alinejad told VOA that she could not speak while the trial is ongoing.
Sadly, this was not the first time Alinejad was targeted by the Iranian government. In 2018, officials offered to pay her relatives in Iran to lure her to Turkey, with the ultimate goal of bringing her back to Iran for imprisonment. However, her brave relatives refused to betray her.
Then, in 2021, Iranian operatives were accused of planning to kidnap Alinejad. The indictment described a plan to bring her from New York to Venezuela, a country with close ties to Iran. Since then, Alinejad has been under the protection of the U.S. government and has had to frequently move between safe houses to ensure her safety.
Despite facing constant threats, Alinejad has refused to back down and stop her work. In her own words, “I don’t have any guns and bullets – I don’t carry weapons. But this government, they have everything, and they’re really scared of me. And that gives me power – that, with my words and social media, I am more powerful than them.”
The alleged plot to assassinate Alinejad came to light shortly after the failed kidnapping attempt. Prosecutors claim that the murder plot was initiated by a network in Iran led by Ruhollah Bazghandi, a brigadier general in the Revolutionary Guards. Bazghandi, along with three other Iranian men who are not in Iranian custody, have also been charged in New York with murder for hire.
According to Alinejad, this type of brutal repression is in the DNA of the Revolutionary Guards. As she rightly pointed out in October 2024 when Bazghandi and the others were indicted, it is crucial for the U.S. government to hold Iran accountable for this plot and their broader use of transnational repression.
“This is about protecting democracy,” Alinejad stated last year. “The Iranian regime is challenging the U.S. government on U.S. soil, and this is essentially an attack on freedom of speech and the national security and safety of America.”
When contacted for comment, Iran’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to VOA’s email.
In the trial beginning Monday, prosecutors will present evidence on how Amirov and Omarov operated within a Russian criminal organization called the Thieves-in-Law, which originated in Stalinist prison camps. The government’s star witness will be a former member of the criminal group, identified only as “CW-1” in court documents. However, the details of his actions align with those of Khalid Mehdiyev, the Azerbaijani man who was arrested outside Alinejad’s home with a gun in 2022.
According to the indictment, members of the Bazghandi network turned to Amirov, an Azerbaijani Russian citizen living in Iran, for assistance. Amirov then contacted Omarov, who was residing in Eastern Europe. Together, they provided $30,000 to Mehdiyev, who purchased the assault rifle and staked out Alinejad’s house for about a week. At one point, Mehdiy
