On Saturday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that a federal jury found two men guilty for trying to murder Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad. The Iranian government had paid them $500,000 to carry out this crime. Rubio said that this decision shows that any plans to harm Americans will be met with quick punishment.
Rubio praised former President Donald Trump for ensuring that groups connected to Iran are investigated and brought to justice. Alinejad, a journalist and women’s rights activist, thanked Rubio for his support. She criticized the current Biden administration for not holding Iran accountable and for giving them money instead of enforcing strict penalties.
In July 2022, police arrested a member of a criminal gang with a gun outside Alinejad’s home. This came after a failed kidnapping attempt by Iranian agents in 2021. Alinejad fled Iran in 2009 after facing danger for her outspoken views, especially against the Iranian regime.
The US Department of Justice announced that the two men, Rafat Amirov from Iran and Polad Omarov from Georgia, were convicted of several serious charges, including murder-for-hire. They are set to be sentenced on September 17, with possible prison times ranging from a maximum of 10 years to life in prison. They were involved with an organized crime group and received orders from Iranian officials to carry out the attack on Alinejad, who has been critical of Iran’s government.
Alinejad called for the US to take strong action against Iran for its attacks on people in America.
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