NEW YORK, NY – Two leaders of a Russian organized crime group have been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for conspiring with the Iranian government to kill U.S.-based journalist and activist Masih Alinejad, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov were convicted earlier this year of murder-for-hire, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related charges following a two-week trial in Manhattan federal court.
Officials said the pair acted on orders from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which allegedly offered $500,000 for Alinejad’s assassination.
Key Points
- Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov sentenced to 25 years for Iran-backed murder-for-hire plot targeting journalist Masih Alinejad
- Plot involved coordination between the IRGC and Russian organized crime figures
- FBI discovered a hitman with an AK-47 outside Alinejad’s Brooklyn home in 2022
Iran allegedly hired Russian mobsters to kill dissident journalist
Prosecutors said the IRGC sought to silence Alinejad, an outspoken critic of Tehran’s human rights abuses, after earlier attempts to kidnap her from the U.S. failed. Amirov, identified as a high-ranking “Vor,” or Thief-in-Law, within the Russian Mob, and Omarov, his associate, allegedly accepted the contract and orchestrated surveillance of Alinejad’s Brooklyn residence.
In July 2022, the men allegedly coordinated with another operative, Khalid Mehdiyev, who staked out Alinejad’s home while sending updates, videos, and photographs to the conspirators. Authorities said Mehdiyev purchased an AK-47-style assault rifle, ammunition, and other gear using advance funds provided by the IRGC.
FBI intervention prevented planned assassination
Court records show that on July 28, 2022, Mehdiyev was stopped by police for a traffic violation near Alinejad’s neighborhood. A search of his car uncovered the loaded assault rifle, ammunition, cash, and a ski mask. Officials said the discovery likely prevented the killing from taking place.
After Mehdiyev’s arrest, Omarov allegedly threatened his family, demanding repayment of money sent from Iran for the operation.
Federal officials condemn plot as act of foreign-sponsored terror
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said the case exposed Iran’s “brazen effort to export terror to New York,” adding that the sentencing “sends a clear message” to any foreign power targeting American citizens.
Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg described the defendants’ actions as part of a “disturbing rise in state-backed plots” against dissidents living abroad.
FBI Assistant Director Christopher G. Raia said the pair “operated as unlawful enforcers for a foreign government to target an American journalist on our nation’s soil,” reaffirming the agency’s commitment to protecting U.S. citizens from foreign-directed violence.
Both Amirov and Omarov will serve 25 years in federal prison following their sentencing by U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon.