A senior member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and three other people linked to that country’s government have been charged by federal prosecutors in New York with conspiring to kill the Iranian-American journalist and activist. Masih Alinejadresident in the United States and critical of the Iranian authorities. This has been announced by the US Department of Justice.
According to a statement, Revolutionary Guard Brigade General Rujolá Bazqandi, known as Rujolá Azimi, previously served as head of the counterintelligence office. After this body was sanctioned for the taking of hostages and unlawful detention of American citizens abroad, The Treasury sanctioned him on several occasions.
The others indicted are “members of his network based in Iran”, which Washington has called ‘The Bazqandi Network’, and have been identified Fnu Lnu, known as Haj Taher; Hosein Sedigi, and Sayer Mohamed Foruzan. All of them, who are still freehave been charged with murder for hire, conspiracy to commit murder for hire, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to violate sanctions against the Government of Iran.
All They hired members of an organized crime group from Eastern Europe to carry out the crime: Rafat Amirov, Polad Omarov and Zialat Mamedov. All three were previously arrested, charged with murder for hire, conspiracy to commit murder for hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
They have also been accused of attempted murder for the purpose of contributing to extortion and possession and use of a firearm. Amirov and Omarov are detained in the United States awaiting trial, while Mamedov was extradited from the Czech Republic to Georgia to face charges there.
«The Department of Justice has charged eight people, including an Iranian military officer, for their efforts to silence and kill a US citizen because of her criticism of the Iranian regime. “We will not tolerate the efforts of an authoritarian regime like Iran to undermine the fundamental rights guaranteed to all Americans,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland.
As explained by the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Christopher Wray, his investigation led to the interruption of the plot when one of the conspirators was allegedly on his way to murder the victim in New York.
Alinejad has noted that “the revelation” that the plot to assassinate her in 2022 “was orchestrated by the Revolutionary Guard of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a stark reminder of the brutal lengths to which the Islamic regime goes to silence dissidents, even those far beyond Iran’s borders.”
“But this new accusation exposes not only the Islamic Republic, but also its pressure groups and even some who call themselves the opposition but denied this assassination plot. They are also exposed for covering up the regime’s crimes,” he said in a statement published on his profile on the social network X.
The activist has assured that he will not be deterred. “It is the same Revolutionary Guard that sponsors its militias in the region to kill innocent people in the Middle East and sends drones to Russia to kill innocent Ukrainians,” he criticized.
«I will continue to defend the rights of the Iranian people to ensure democracy and freedom from dictatorship, regardless of the risks. “My spirit of resistance is alive and no amount of intimidation or violence can extinguish it,” he added, after thanking the security forces for preventing his assassination and promising to “echo the voices of millions of Iranians, especially women, who face the same murderers within the country.
Finally, has sent a message to Khameneito whom he has assured that Justice will find him and that his regime will be held accountable for “the suffering it has inflicted.” «You may have driven me from my home, but now it is your turn to face the consequences of your crimes. “Go to hell,” he expressed.
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