A senior member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard accused of plotting to kill a journalist in the US

Alinejad considers this “revelation” to be “a harsh reminder of the brutal lengths” of Khamenei to silence dissent.

Oct. 23 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The US Department of Justice announced this Tuesday that federal prosecutors in New York have charged a senior member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and three other people linked to the Iranian government with conspiring to kill Iranian-American journalist and activist Masih. Alinejad, resident in the United States and critical of the Iranian authorities.

According to a statement, Revolutionary Guard Brigade General Rujolá Bazqandi, known as Rujolá Azimi, previously served as head of the counterintelligence office. After this agency was sanctioned for the hostage-taking and unlawful detention of US citizens abroad, the Treasury sanctioned it 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 remain at large, have 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.

They all hired members of an Eastern European organized crime group to carry out the assassination: 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 charged with attempted murder in aid of extortion and possession and use of a firearm in connection with the attempted murder. 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 an American citizen because of her criticism of the Iranian regime. We will not tolerate efforts by an authoritarian regime like Iran to undermine the fundamental rights guaranteed to all Americans,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland.

As the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Christopher Wray, has explained, his investigation led to the interruption of the plot when one of the conspirators was supposedly 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 (Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah) Ali Khamenei’s Revolutionary Guard is a stark reminder of the brutal lengths to which the 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 told through a statement published on his profile on the social network X.

The activist has assured that she will not be deterred even though the person responsible for the Revolutionary Guard “for the arrests, torture and murder of countless Iranian voices of freedom continues his campaign of terror.” “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 secure democracy and free themselves 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 forces of security for preventing her assassination and promising to “echo the voices of millions of Iranians, especially women, who face the same killers inside the country.”

Finally, he sent a message to Khamenei, whom he assured that justice will find him and that his regime will be held accountable for “the suffering it has inflicted.” “You may have expelled me from my home, but now it is your turn to face the consequences of your crimes. Go to hell,” he said.