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Federal prosecutors in the US on Tuesday charged four Iranian nationals with plotting to kidnap journalist, activist, and author, Masih Alinejad. The Iranian-American Alinejad has been critical of Iran. And she has been outspoken in her fight for human rights for women in that country. 

The failed kidnappers were concerned that Alinjad’s book “Wind in my Hair” could mobilize public opinion in Iran. 

Masih Alinejad, a long-time activist, has been reporting human rights violations in Iran. She is a contributor to the US government-funded Voice of America Persian language service.

5 involved in a plot to kidnap journalist 

According to a New York federal court on Wednesday Iranian Intelligence Services allegedly plotted her kidnapping from New York City for rendition to Iran.

The unsealed indictment charges four Iranian nationals with a complex conspiracy related to kidnapping, sanctions violations, bank and wire fraud, and money laundering. According to court documents, Alireza Shavaroghi Farahani, aka Vezerat Salimi and Haj Ali, 50; Mahmoud Khazein, 42; Kiya Sadeghi, 35; and Omid Noori, 45, all of Iran, conspired to kidnap the Brooklyn-based journalist. 

The indictment alleges Farahani is an Iranian intelligence official who resides in Iran. Sadeghi,  Khazeinand Noori all reside in Iran. And are Iranian intelligence assets who work for Farahani. 

Another co-conspirator is currently a US resident living in California.  Niloufar Bahadorifar, aka Nellie Bahadorifar, 46, also an Iranian national, allegedly provided financial services to fund the plot.

Using card accounts Bahadorifar paid for things like a private investigator for surveillance of the intended victim. For her role in supporting the plot, Bahadorifar will be charged with conspiring to violate sanctions against Iran, committing bank fraud, and money laundering. Bahadorifar is also charged with structuring cash deposits in excess of $445,000.

This network run by Farahani also targeted victims in other countries, including  Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. 

Plot to kidnap journalist run from Iran

US prosecutors claim that in 2018, the Iranian government tried to entice or even pay Alinejad’s family members in Iran to invite her to a third country. They intended to abduct her in another country and take her back to Iran.

This ploy was used in 2019 to capture Ruhollah Zam, an outspoken Iranian journalist living in France. Zam was lured to a third country where he was kidnapped and brought back to Iran. In 2020, he was executed by the Iranian government. It is thought that the Farahani group may have been responsible.