The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday the indictments of three suspects in planning an operation to assassinate Iranian-American activist and journalist Masih Alinejad in New York.
The defendants have been identified as Rafat Amirov, Polad Omarov and Khalid Mehdiyev. All have been charged with «conspiracy to commit murder» and «money laundering», while Mehdiyev is charged with a third count of illegal possession of weapons. They face between 40 and 45 years in prison.
According to the indictment, the defendants «are members of an organized crime group hired to assassinate, in New York City, an Iranian-American citizen who has criticized the regime’s autocracy and disregard for human rights».
This organization would have its main place of operations in Eastern Europe and would be linked to the Iranian Intelligence services. The Department of Justice communiqué does not identify the gang by name but confirms that many of its members have «tattoos of eight-pointed stars», a common trait among members of Russian mafias.
The charges place Amirov, 43, of Iranian origin, as the mastermind of the operation, who used Omarov (38), of Czech and Slovenian origin, as a liaison to order Medhiyev (24), a New York native, to follow the activist, a resident of the New York borough of Brooklyn, and, at one point, to take her life.
The murder of the activist was to take place on July 28 last year but Alineyad, who had already been the victim of several kidnapping attempts, managed to elude his executioner, who ended up arrested the same day for a traffic violation in possession of an assault rifle, 66 bullets, about 1,000 euros in cash and a black ski mask.
The White House has assessed the charges as «a warning about the Government’s long reach in defense of its citizens» after recalling that Omarov was arrested on January 4 in the Czech Republic and promptly extradited to the United States.
«Make no mistake,» warned White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, «the United States will not allow Iran or other authoritarian regimes to export efforts to stifle peaceful dissent through threats and intimidation against those living lawfully in our country,» he stressed.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)