Two men hired by the Iranian regime to assassinate prominent dissident Masih Alinejad at her New York home were sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison, ABC News reported. The sentencing follows their conviction in March for murder-for-hire and attempted murder in aid of racketeering.
Federal prosecutors revealed that Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov collaborated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in a $500,000 plot to silence Alinejad, one of Iran’s most outspoken critics on the global stage. The pair, linked to an Eastern European criminal network with ties to Iran, reportedly sought to leverage the bounty to gain influence within the Russian mob.
According to prosecutors, the triggerman hired by the two repeatedly surveilled Alinejad’s Brooklyn residence in July 2022. On July 28, he spotted her on her porch but failed to act in time. Alarmed by his presence, Alinejad fled the area to stay with a friend. That same day, NYPD officers stopped the suspect for traffic violations and discovered an assault rifle, 66 rounds of ammunition, a ski mask, gloves, and cash in his vehicle.
Ahead of the sentencing, prosecutors argued for a 55-year sentence, citing the defendants’ intent “to soak the Brooklyn streets with the victim’s blood.” Defense attorneys requested significantly lighter sentences – 10 years for Omarov and 13 for Amirov.
Iranian authorities have denied any involvement in alleged plots targeting Alinejad.
Alinejad hailed the verdict as “a victory for my fellow dissidents who continue to fight for freedom and refuse to be silenced,” and called on the US government to send a clear message: “If [US residents] are targeted on American soil, there will be consequences for the hitmen as well as the regimes that sent them.”