A suspect charged in a plot to kill an Iranian American author and activist has been extradited from the Czech Republic to face charges, the Justice Department announced. Polad Omarov, along with two other men, was arrested in January 2023 in connection with an alleged plot to kill Masih Alinejad, an Iranian opposition activist.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed Omarov's extradition, emphasizing the government's stance against any attempts to undermine the rights of American citizens. The other two men involved in the case, Rafat Amirov and Khalid Mahdiyev, were also charged with money laundering and murder-for-hire in federal court in New York.
A fourth man, Zialat Mamedov, was later added to the indictment. Alinejad, the intended target of the plot, is an Iranian opposition activist, journalist, and writer based in New York City. She fled Iran after the 2009 presidential election and has been a vocal critic of human rights abuses in Iran.
Alinejad expressed gratitude to U.S. law enforcement agencies for their vigilance and protection. The indictment alleges that the men were part of an Eastern European criminal organization with ties to Iran. Amirov was reportedly tasked with arranging the murder and contacted Omarov for assistance. Mehdiyev, based in New York, was given $30,000 in cash for his involvement.
Mehdiyev was arrested in 2022 after being found with a loaded rifle and ammunition in Alinejad's Brooklyn neighborhood. Alinejad, who became a U.S. citizen in 2019, stated her readiness to testify against the accused men.
