NYC Journalist Targeted in Alleged Iranian Assassination Plot Takes Stand

Journalist's Testimony and Persecution

• 💡 Masi Alinejad, an Iranian dissident journalist and women's rights activist, testified in the trial of two men accused of an assassination plot against her.
• 🎯 She stated she left Iran in 2009 after her passport was confiscated and she was forced to sign an agreement not to cover elections.
• 🗣️ Alinejad, a contributor for Voice of America, told the court she has been accused by the Iranian regime of being an agent for various intelligence agencies and President Trump.

Activism and Alleged Threats

• ✊ In 2022, she was involved in campaigns boycotting Iranian sporting events and advocating for women to remove their hijabs.
• 📱 She described her social media as her "weapon," where she shared videos from Iran of women walking unveiled and facing harassment from the morality police.
• ⚠️ Prosecutors allege that the Iranian government plotted to assassinate her in 2022, with two men, Rafat Amirov and Polad Omur, pleading not guilty to charges including murder for hire.

Informant Testimony and Evidence

• 🤝 A man who took a plea deal and testified for the government stated he was part of the Russian mob and was hired to kill Alinejad.
• 📸 He admitted to taking pictures and videos inside her Brooklyn home.
• 🚗 He was arrested nearby with an AK-47 in his back seat after running a stop sign.

Victim's and Husband's Statements

• 💬 Alinejad described seeing a large man talking on a phone outside her home, stating, "I saw the big guy he was gigantic."
• ❤️ Her husband expressed that she is in "great spirits" for the chance to confront those who ordered her killing and is hopeful for justice.
• 🔍 Prosecutors also stated Alinejad has been the target of several other kidnapping plots by the Iranian government.