Brooklyn Court Sentences Assassins for Plot Against Journalist

Two men were sentenced to 25 years in prison for their roles in a plot to assassinate Iranian-American journalist and human rights activist Masih Alinejad. The sentencing took place on Wednesday at a federal courthouse in Lower Manhattan, where Judge Colleen McMahon condemned the defendants for committing a “terrible, terrible crime” with far-reaching consequences.

The convicted individuals, Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, were found guilty of accepting a $500,000 bounty from the Iranian government to orchestrate Alinejad’s murder outside her Brooklyn home. The trial, held in March at the Southern District of New York, lasted two weeks, with the jury taking less than four hours to reach a unanimous verdict on all five counts, including conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and money laundering.

Amirov, 46, originally from Iran but raised in the Soviet Union, and Omarov, 40, born in Georgia, were arrested overseas in January 2023. They were extradited to the United States to face charges related to the assassination plot. Both men are high-ranking members of the Gulici, a faction of the Russian Mob.

During her impact statement in court, Alinejad expressed the profound impact of the assassination attempt on her life. “I crossed an ocean to America to have a normal life, and I don’t have a normal life,” she said, recalling her dreams of freedom that have been overshadowed by fear.

The plot to murder Alinejad began to unravel on July 28, 2022, when New York Police Department detectives stopped a man named Khalid Mehdiyev near her residence. Officers discovered a fully loaded rifle, ammunition, a black ski mask, and rubber gloves in his vehicle. Mehdiyev, who was hired by Amirov and Omarov, testified during the trial that he was tasked with killing Alinejad. He has since pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges, including attempted murder.

Prosecutors revealed that the order to assassinate Alinejad originated from a network of Iranians who had previously attempted to intimidate her but failed. They described Alinejad as someone who has “dedicated her life to exposing the cruelty, corruption, and tyranny of the Islamic Republic.” The Iranian regime’s efforts to silence her have led to multiple assassination attempts against her life.

In court, prosecutors argued that Amirov and Omarov’s indifference to the gravity of their actions was evident. They wrote that the defendants “appeared completely incurious about who they were plotting to murder and why,” focusing solely on their own profits and power. While prosecutors sought a 55-year prison sentence for each, the defense argued for significantly lighter sentences, claiming their clients played minimal roles in the conspiracy.

Amirov’s attorney characterized him as a well-respected inmate, while Omarov’s attorney urged the judge to avoid tying their actions to broader geopolitical tensions involving Iran. Alinejad’s husband, Kambiz Foroohar, shared the personal toll the assassination attempt has taken on their family, including the sale of their Brooklyn home and the strain on their relationship.

Alinejad concluded her statement with a poignant reflection: “I am the survivor of this assassination plot, and even in this room today I felt the humiliation of my life being treated as a business transaction.”

After the sentencing, she expressed mixed feelings about facing her would-be assassins, stating, “I was nervous at the same time and very empowered to speak the truth.”

In a show of solidarity, Barry Rosen, a former press attaché at the American embassy in Iran during the hostage crisis, stood with Alinejad outside the courthouse. He remarked on the importance of justice, stating, “They are going to jail for 300 months and they deserve it. And the regime in Iran deserves hell on earth right now.”

Alinejad, who has become a symbol of resilience against oppression, concluded her remarks by affirming her commitment to freedom for women. “Women like freedom,” she said. Before leaving the courthouse, she sang an Iranian song, emphasizing her determination to flourish despite adversity.