A garden of sunflowers … and an AK-47: Iranian murder plot comes to Brooklyn

The trial of two Russian mobsters for a murder-for-hire scheme targeting the women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad revealed incongruous, and chilling, details

Masih Alinejad had just finished gathering tomatoes and cucumbers from the backyard garden of her Brooklyn home when she spotted a “gigantic” man mulling about.

At first, he seemed “like a normal guy”, the Iranian-American dissident writer recalled in court this week of a fateful day in late July 2022. “He was walking and then he had a phone in his hand.”

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Jury to hear from Iranian dissident who was allegedly target of murder-for-hire plot

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CBS News - 4d
Two men convicted of murder-for-hire plot against Iranian American journalist in New York

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2 convicted in plot to kill Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad

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CBS News - 2d
2 convicted in plot to kill Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad

A jury has found two men guilty of trying to kill Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad, who works as a journalist and lives in New York City.
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Trial Set for Men Accused of Targeting Iranian Dissident in New York

Prosecutors say the men helped direct a murder-for-hire scheme aimed at Masih Alinejad. The trial is expected to show Iran’s efforts to punish those who criticize it, no matter where they are.
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How a Russian Mobster Stalked an Iranian Dissident in Brooklyn

Khalid Mehdiyev was sent to America to establish a beachhead for his gang. The organization then gave him a mission: Kill Masih Alinejad.
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