Two Men Sentenced 25 Years for Iran-Backed Plot to Murder US Journalist

Two men, Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, were sentenced to 25 years in prison for their roles in a 2022 Iran-backed assassination plot targeting Iranian-American journalist and dissident Masih Alinejad. The men, linked to an Eastern European criminal gang and contracted by an Iranian Revolutionary Guards brigadier general, were convicted of murder for hire, conspiracy, money laundering, and firearm possession. Authorities intercepted the assassination attempt when a hired gunman was arrested near Alinejad's Brooklyn home with a loaded weapon. Alinejad, a vocal critic of Iran’s regime and advocate for women’s rights, praised the U.S. justice system for standing against political repression, emphasizing that her activism was her only 'crime.' Despite the defendants' lawyers seeking leniency, the judge condemned the assassination attempt as politically motivated and a serious crime against freedom of expression. The case highlights ongoing U.S. efforts to counter transnational repression by authoritarian regimes.