Iranian Government Offered $500,000 Reward for the Head of Masih Alinejad

A prosecutor in the trial concerning the attempted "assassination" of Masih Alinejad, a political activist opposed to the Islamic Republic of Iran in the United States, reported that the Tehran government had set a "$500,000 reward" for her. Michael Lockard, an assistant U.S. attorney, told the Manhattan federal jury on Wednesday, March 20, that the "Iranian government" had established this reward for the Iranian-American journalist who openly criticizes the Islamic Republic to cover the financial costs of silencing her. According to the Associated Press, he added that the Iranian government considers Alinejad an "enemy" and has tried for years to "harass, discredit, and intimidate" her, and when these efforts failed, they set a $500,000 bounty on her head. Lockard told the Manhattan federal jury that the assassin hired for this task was arrested in July 2022 before he could kill Alinejad, and his arrest led to the detention and trial of two members of a Russian mafia who organized the assassination plot. The U.S. assistant attorney stated that two senior members of the Russian mafia, Rafat Amirov and Polad Amirov, received money from the Iranian government to organize the assassination plot against Alinejad in 2022, and there is "very strong evidence" in this regard. One of the defendants in the "assassination" case confessed to the attempt on her life. However, the lawyers for these individuals, both citizens of Azerbaijan, argued in their closing statements to the jury that they had not committed any of the multiple crimes they were accused of. Michael Martin, Amirov's lawyer, stated that there is no doubt that "Iran targeted Alinejad, but his client was not part of any plot." He questioned the credibility of Khalid Mahdiyev's statements, who testified last week that he received $30,000 for Alinejad's assassination, but when the police stopped him for running a red light, his mission to kill Alinejad remained unfinished. Khalid Mahdiyev, 27, identified as a member of a Russian organized crime group, confessed during the trial of his two accomplices in the U.S. that he played a role in the conspiracy to kill Alinejad. Mahdiyev testified to the jury that he was arrested in Brooklyn while carrying an AK-47 rifle and a ski mask. He also stated in court, "I was there to kill this journalist." Masih Alinejad is a prominent activist for women's rights and political and civil liberties in Iran, and she has played an active role in launching campaigns against compulsory hijab and in disseminating news and images related to the civil activities of Iranian women.