Two Russian mobsters, Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, have been sentenced to 25 years each for their roles in an Iran-backed assassination plot against Iranian-American journalist and dissident Masih Alinejad. The conviction stems from a scheme in which they accepted roughly $500,000 to organise the murder, underscoring U.S. efforts to counter transnational repression.
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Iran-Backed Assassination Plot: Russian Mobsters Sentenced to 25 Years for Targeting Masih Alinejad
New York — October 29, 2025
In a landmark ruling, two Russian-affiliated organised-crime figures were each handed a 25-year prison sentence in a Manhattan federal courtroom for their pivotal involvement in an Iran-backed assassination plot against Iranian-American journalist and women’s-rights activist Masih Alinejad.
The defendants, Rafat Amirov (46) and Polad Omarov (41), were convicted earlier this year on charges including murder-for-hire, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Prosecutors established that the Iranian regime had paid approximately $500,000 to the duo to orchestrate the killing of Alinejad at her Brooklyn home in 2022. The Guardian+1
The Plot Uncovered (Iran-backed assassination plot)
According to court documents, Amirov and Omarov were high-ranking members of a Russian organised-crime faction. Acting on behalf of the Iranian intelligence apparatus, they enlisted a hired gunman who attempted the hit on Alinejad at her Flatbush residence. The plot was foiled when the gunman, later identified as Khalid Mehdiyev, was apprehended near her home with an AK-47.
The assassination scheme formed part of a broader campaign by Tehran to silence dissidents abroad — a phenomenon U.S. officials classify as transnational repression. Justice.gov+1
Sentencing & Courtroom Scenes
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Colleen McMahon called the crime a “terrible, terrible offence” and emphasised the chilling message it sent: that foreign regimes cannot target U.S.-based dissidents with impunity. The Guardian+1
Alinejad delivered an emotional impact statement, describing how the assassination plot shattered her sense of safety and forced her into an itinerant existence. “I crossed an ocean to come to America to have a normal life—and I don’t have a normal life,” she told the court. “They couldn’t break me, but they brought fear into my life.” AP News+1
Despite defence arguments for shorter sentences — citing mitigating factors including one defendant’s alleged paranoia and mob threats — the court rejected these pleas. The sentence reflects both the egregious nature of the plot and the high stakes of foreign-state-backed violence on U.S. soil. The Guardian+1
Geopolitical Implications & Transnational Repression
The case highlights a stark evolution in global state-sponsored violence: not only direct actions but outsourcing murder-for-hire to organised-crime networks. U.S. prosecutors emphasised that Iran’s regime enlisted foreign criminals to do its dirty work, sending a clear signal: U.S. jurisdiction extends to such offences. Justice.gov+1
Legal analysts say the sentencing may deter other regimes from plotting attacks on American soil, particularly against dissidents whose activism challenges autocratic governments. “This verdict should send a clear message around the world,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated. Justice.gov
What Happens Next
While Amirov and Omarov begin their 25-year sentences, investigators continue to pursue additional actors believed to be involved in the scheme — including Iranian intelligence officials at large. The U.S. Department of Justice emphasised the investigation remains active. Times Union+1
For Alinejad, the outcome provides a measure of justice but does not erase the trauma. She remains under protection and continues her activism from exile in the U.S., urging the world to focus on the plight of Iranian women and human rights. AP News
Final Word
The sentencing of two Russian mobsters to 25 years for an Iran-backed assassination plot marks a major victory for U.S. legal efforts against transnational repression. It underscores the heightened risk faced by dissidents abroad and the determination of U.S. authorities to hold foreign actors accountable for violence on American soil.
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