Men convicted in attempted assassination of Iranian journalist in NYC sentenced to 25 years in prison
Two men were sentenced in federal court on Wednesday in a plot to kill Masih Alinejad, an Iranian dissident and journalist from Brooklyn.
Russian mobsters Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, who were convicted back in March in Manhattan on murder-for-hire charges, were each sentenced to 25 years in federal prison.
Alinejad was overwhelmed with joy.
"This is the dream millions of Iranians are fighting. They want to have justice. That's why I want to say [it is] a historical day," Alinejad said. "The killers wanted to see me covered in blood, dead on my porch in Brooklyn, and thanks to law enforcement agents, I am alive.
"I have survived three assassination plots, kidnapping ... How lucky am I?" Alinejad added.
Alleged accomplice became government's witness
Prosecutors said Amirov and Omarov paid a man $30,000 to kill Alinejad, a women's rights advocate and former contributor for Voice of America, back in 2022. That man was seen outside of her home and an AK-47 assault rifle was found in his car, but he later took the stand as the government's witness.
Prosecutors claim the Iranian government paid the men $500,000 to carry out the assassination. Four Iranians were indicted in connection to the attempted plot.
"My crime is just giving voice to women of Iran"
Alinejad gave a powerful victim's impact statement inside a packed courtroom, saying her social media campaign against Iran's human rights violations and discrimination of women, which has over 8 million followers, put a target on her back.
"I grew up in a small village in Iran, where I was brainwashed, alongside millions of schoolgirls and boys, to chant 'Death to America.' How ironic. The same country, America, gave me second life. That's the true face of justice," she said.
She said she remained in hiding during the ordeal and moved 21 times, but on Wednesday finally felt free.
"My crime is just giving voice to women of Iran," Alinejad said. "Woman, life, freedom ... that's the slogan of millions of Iranians."
She said she will continue to fight for women's rights.