NEW YORK, NY – On Monday, two men faced trial in a federal court in New York City, accused of participating in a plot allegedly funded by the Iranian government to assassinate a renowned Iranian journalist and human rights activist. Judge Colleen McMahon assured potential jurors of the clear fact that “nobody got killed” despite the gravity of the accusations.
The defendants, reportedly linked to an Eastern European crime syndicate with connections to Iran, were charged at the start of the year for allegedly scheming in 2022 to murder Masih Alinejad, an outspoken author and journalist. Alinejad, who had to flee her homeland after the controversial 2009 presidential election, became a U.S. citizen in 2019. During the trial, she is expected to testify about the recurring threats from the Iranian regime.
In front of a group of potential jurors in the Manhattan courtroom, Judge McMahon indicated that the trial of Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, who are originally from Azerbaijan, would last for under three weeks. Highlighting the charges, which include a murder-for-hire and related conspiracy charge, she emphasized that no murder had actually occurred and no one physically harmed.
Moreover, the defendants stood before the jurors with their legal counsel, maintaining their innocence through pleas of not guilty. “They are presumed to be not guilty,” McMahon stated, reinforcing the principle of the presumption of innocence.
Throughout the proceedings, prosecutors intend to call upon witnesses, including subject-matter experts, to convey to the jury how Iran has historically targeted dissidents abroad. In its opening statement, the U.S. government highlighted Iran’s ongoing efforts to abduct or eliminate adversaries living overseas, especially those allied with Western nations.
While the judge consented to some testimony regarding Iran’s history of targeting dissidents, she deemed a detailed history of Iran’s transnational vendettas over the past four and a half decades as potentially prejudicial to the case. Nonetheless, jurors will be exposed to substantive and tangible evidence specifically related to the charges against the defendants.
Earlier, McMahon decreed in writing that the jury should be aware of the continuous threats Alinejad faced from the Iranian authorities. This acknowledgment would help explain why Iranian operatives might attempt to target her stateside.
Court documents revealed an Iranian initiative in 2018 to lure Alinejad into a trap by leveraging her relatives in Iran, offering payment to entice her to travel to a foreign country for an arrest and extradition back to Iran. This attempt was rebuffed by her kin.
Furthermore, U.S. authorities previously uncovered a 2020 plan by an Iranian agency to abduct Alinejad on American soil and return her to Iran, which could likely lead to her execution. A subsequent 2021 indictment unveiled charges against an Iranian intelligence officer and accomplices, though they remain fugitives.
The current trial centers on Amirov, who is identified in the indictment as a leader in a mafia-like group, directed by unnamed individuals to target Alinejad. Amirov purportedly solicited Omarov’s assistance from Eastern Europe. Court records allege the duo hired a New Yorker for $30,000 to execute the plan against Alinejad, who has been a vocal supporter of women’s rights in Iran through campaigns that challenge the country’s hijab mandate.
The envisioned attack unraveled when Alinejad left her residence due to unusual activity and the hired assailant was subsequently arrested by New York police. Authorities halted the plot after discovering he was in possession of weapons, loaded magazines, cash, and a ski mask.
