Four Iranians Charged for Plot to Kidnap U.S.-based Journalist

[Kartal1]

Four Iranians Charged for Plot to Kidnap U.S.-based Journalist​

• Published: 15 July 2021
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  • WRITTEN BY LARA DIHMIS

U.S. federal prosecutors charged an Iranian intelligence official and three members of his network for a plot to kidnap a New York-based Iranian-American journalist, author and human rights activist critical of Iran, the U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday.

Iranian-American journalist, Masih Alinejad, was targeted by Iranian intelligence. (Photo: Wikimedia)

The plot involved extensive surveillance of the target, as well as her friends, relatives, home and neighbourhood. The plan was to “lure” her to Venezuela, whose government has strong ties with Iran, which was supposed to be her next destination, “where the victim’s fate would have been uncertain at best,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Audrey Strauss, said in the statement.

“Thanks to the FBI’s exposure of their alleged scheme, these defendants have failed to silence criticism by forcible abduction,” she added.
The indictment, unsealed on Tuesday, details how a live high-definition video feed was installed around the target’s house and that “days’ worth of surveillance” footage was found. It did not name the intended victim, but on Wednesday, Masih Alinejad, a U.S. citizen originally from Iran and known for her criticism of Iran’s human rights record, confirmed in a video posted to Twitter that she was the target.

She said she had for the past two weeks been given police protection in a bid to deter the threat, and further details emerged that she was informed of the plot by the FBI last year, and has since followed their protocol.

“I am grateful to FBI [sic] for foiling the Islamic Republic of Iran's Intelligence Ministry's plot to kidnap me. This plot was orchestrated under Rouhani,” she said, referring to the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

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Four Iranians Charged for Plot to Kidnap U.S.-based Journalist

U.S. federal prosecutors charged an Iranian intelligence official and three members of his network for a plot to kidnap a New York-based Iranian-American journalist, author and human rights activist critical of Iran, the U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday.

www.occrp.org

 

[Dalit]

That is funny. A defector making accusations against Iran. Sounds like a plot from a Hollywood B rate movie script.

Why is it that Western nations love to nurture hateful and rebellious figures from nations where they like to get a foothold? The Americans have an army of defectors from Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Russia, China and so many more.

 

[Gary]

Good Job FBI.

even the Shah never harmed Khomeini during it's stay in France, why are it's followers so keen to kidnap other country citizens.