A federal jury in New York Thursday convicted two men of plotting to assassinate Iranian American journalist Masih Alinejad at her home in New York City, according to CBS News.
Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, both alleged members of a Russian mob, were found guilty of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and firearms offenses.
Amirov and Omarov face decades in prison, with sentencing scheduled for September.
During closing arguments, prosecutors told jurors that Alinejad has been the subject of several plots by Iran, including kidnapping, and that the Iranian government placed a $500,000 bounty on her head to silence her.
Alinejad expressed relief following the verdict but emphasized that justice remains incomplete.
“I am relieved that after nearly three years, the men who plotted to kill me have been found guilty,” Alinejad said outside court. “But make no mistake, the real masterminds of this crime are still in power in Iran. I am waiting for the day when Ali Khamenei and his terrorist Revolutionary Guards face justice, I want them to be punished.”
“Right now, I am bombarded with emotions. I have cried, I have laughed, I have even danced. Because today is not just about my survival; it is about the defeat and humiliation of a regime that believes it can silence its critics with bullets. They failed. I am still here. And I will keep fighting until every criminal in that regime faces their reckoning,” Alinejad added.