Friday, March 21, 2025
A murder-for-hire trial is underway in New York for two Azerbaijanis accused of plotting to kill Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad on a contract from the Islamic Republic. Jury selection began March 10 in the trial of Rafat Amirov, 45, and Polad Omarov, 40, both of whom were allegedly hired by Pasdar Brig. Gen. Ruhollah Bazghandi to kill Alinejad. Bazghandi was charged, but is not in US custody and so is not on trial. Amirov and Omarov were charged with murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder for-hire, attempted murder in aid of racketeering and money laundering.
The pair is believed to have been members of the same crime gang in Azerbaijan. Prosecutors allege they were contracted by Bazghandi to research, monitor and target Alinejad between 2021 and July 2022. But prosecutors say the plot was foiled when a third man, Azerbaijani Khalid Mehdiyev, 27, was stopped for running through a stop sign near Alinejad’s Brooklyn home July 28, 2022.
When Mehdiyev could not produce a driver’s license, the police searched his car, found an assault rifle with the serial number filed off, dozens of rounds of ammunition, a ski mask and cash, and arrested him. Mehdiyev will face trial later. But he was an early witness in the trial of Amirov and Omarov, where he confessed, “I was there to kill the journalist [Alinejad].”
He said he was paid $30,000 for the hit. Amirov and Omarov have pleaded not guilty. The pair was seated in court brought before Judge Colleen McMahon. Both wore headphones to hear translation of the proceedings. The trial is expected to take two weeks. In their opening statement, prosecutors said Amirov and Omarov were promised $500,000 by the Pasdaran to orchestrate Alinejad’s murder. US officials said Alinejad, who became a US citizen in 2019, has long been targeted by the Iranian regime, first for kidnaping, then for assassination.
The Iranian government has denied being involved in any plot on Alinejad’s life. In a post on X before the trial began, Alinejad wrote, “Finally, I will face the men hired by the Islamic Republic to kill me, right here in New York. Of course, it’s not easy. But it’s a big day. I’m deeply grateful to my new country, the United States of America, for trying to keep me safe from the government of my birth count
