Charges Filed Against Iranian Official in Assassination Plot
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have brought charges against a senior official in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) of Iran, along with three other individuals linked to the Iranian government, for their involvement in a thwarted plot to assassinate renowned human-rights activist Masih Alinejad in Brooklyn in 2022. This new indictment, which was made public on Tuesday, sheds light on the disturbing international implications of the Iranian regime’s actions.
The assassination attempt against Alinejad, a vocal critic of Iran’s oppressive treatment of women, was interrupted by U.S. authorities. It has already resulted in murder-for-hire charges against members of an Eastern European criminal organization with connections to Iran, who were allegedly hired to execute the operation. The recent charges mark the first time a high-ranking official within the Revolutionary Guards has been directly implicated in this plot.
Ruhollah Bazghandi, identified in the indictment as a brigadier general within the IRGC, has been described by the U.S. Treasury Department as a counterintelligence official. Last year, the Treasury imposed sanctions against Bazghandi, citing his involvement in detaining foreign prisoners in Iran and orchestrating assassination plots targeting journalists, Israeli citizens, and others labeled as adversaries by the Iranian regime.
Masih Alinejad, who previously resided in Brooklyn but has since relocated within New York, revealed in a 2020 article that the Iranian government had issued calls for her abduction through a social media campaign. In a recent interview, Alinejad stated, “The Iranian regime always employs criminal gangs to carry out their nefarious activities beyond their borders, seeking to evade punishment and accountability.”
The latest charges, according to Alinejad, provide clear evidence of the IRGC’s direct involvement in these sinister plots. “It is highly significant that we now possess proof that senior members of the IRGC in Iran were orchestrating the order for a hit on a U.S. citizen from their homeland,” she emphasized. Alinejad expressed her renewed commitment to amplify the voices of the Iranian people, particularly women, who face similar threats from the very regime that targets her.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
