NEW YORK (AP) — A plot to assassinate Iranian American journalist Masih Alinejad at her Brooklyn home came 'chillingly near success,' prosecutors told a judge who will sentence two purported Russian mobsters. Prosecutors are seeking 55-year prison terms for Rafat Amirov, 46, and Polad Omarov, 41, at their sentencing on Wednesday in Manhattan federal court. They were convicted in March after testimony revealed their involvement in a plan to kill Alinejad, an author and contributor to Voice of America. Following the discovery of the plot, Alinejad, who has campaigned for women in Iran to protest oppressive dress codes, stated she would attend the hearing to confront her would-be assassins and express her truth. The Iranian government allegedly tried to silence her through various means, offering a $500,000 bounty after failed intimidation efforts. Prosecutors noted that, although their plan was close to execution, it was foiled due to law enforcement's intervention and Alinejad being out of town at the time of the attack.
Plot Against Iranian American Journalist Uncovered: Russian Mobsters Convicted
Plot Against Iranian American Journalist Uncovered: Russian Mobsters Convicted
Two Russian mobsters are set to be sentenced for their roles in a chilling assassination plot against Iranian American journalist Masih Alinejad, who has been an outspoken critic of the Iranian government.
In a federal court in Manhattan, prosecutors have requested 55-year sentences for Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, who were involved in a plot to assassinate journalist Masih Alinejad at her Brooklyn home. Alinejad, known for her activism against the Iranian regime, recounted the threats she faced and expressed her intent to confront her attackers in court. Amidst claims of a $500,000 bounty from Iran on her life, the plot was thwarted, highlighting the lengths to which the Iranian government will go to silence dissent.
