NEW YORK — Masih Alinejad, a high-profile Iranian dissident and journalist, is expected to testify at a federal trial in Manhattan regarding a purported assassination scheme directed by the Iranian government. Alinejad, who has openly criticized the Iranian regime, reportedly became a target after encouraging Iranian women to protest against the compulsory wearing of hijabs. Her efforts brought widespread attention to the issue of women’s rights and alleged government oppression in Iran, which apparently infuriated Iranian authorities.
In 2009, in the aftermath of Iran’s contested presidential election, Alinejad fled her native country and later secured U.S. citizenship in 2019. On Tuesday, she is slated to elaborate in court on her motivations to resist the Iranian government and on her refusal to succumb to threats. This testimony will form part of the trial proceedings against Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, two men charged with plotting to murder her. Both originate from Azerbaijan, a nation that shares cultural and geographical links with Iran, and have entered not guilty pleas to murder-for-hire and related charges.
The defense for Amirov and Omarov has argued that the allegations rest solely on circumstantial evidence. Meanwhile, Khalid Mehdiyev, a key witness for the prosecution, has revealed his involvement with criminal organizations before relocating to the United States. He was detained when law enforcement discovered an AK-47-style rifle in his vehicle near Alinejad’s apartment in Brooklyn. The weapon was found after he was stopped for a traffic violation.
Mehdiyev has admitted guilt in numerous charges, including attempted murder and conspiracy. During his testimony, he conveyed his recruitment for the assassination plot with the promise of a $160,000 payday, of which he received an initial sum of $30,000. He disclosed he conducted extensive surveillance around Alinejad’s residence and attempted to gain access to her life through social media interactions under the guise of admiration.
In court, Mehdiyev explained to jurors that his communication with Alinejad was a tactic to facilitate the planned assassination. At the same time, Alinejad expressed on social platforms her emotional turmoil over the situation. She highlighted the precariousness of her situation, emphasizing the seriousness of the threats she faces for her activities, such as posting videos that defy the Iranian regime’s mandates concerning women’s dress codes.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Gutwillig underscored to the jury that Alinejad’s advocacy stirred significant governmental wrath as she exposed the oppression faced by Iranian women, a step that intensified the regime’s anger. As the trial progresses, the jury is expected to begin deliberations later in the week. The matter poses poignant questions about international human rights and the lengths to which authoritarian regimes go to suppress dissent.
