Mahmoud Khazein, Omid Noori, Alireza Shahvaroghi Farahani, and Kiya Sadeghi are wanted for allegedly conspiring to kidnap, to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, to commit bank and wire fraud, and to commit money laundering. The charges relate to the actions by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to target Iranian dissidents. The regime views these dissidents as enemies of the state because of their criticism of the regime’s human rights violations, and their public statements against the Iranian Government.
Masih Alinejad, an award-winning presenter for Voice of America’s Persian Service and a fierce critic of Iran’s policies on women’s rights, told The National that she was the intended victim: “They had plotted to kidnap me.” An unidentified law enforcement officer told NBC New York that Alinejad was the target. Alireza Farahani, 50, Mahmoud Khazein, 42, Kiya Sadeghi, 35, and Omid Noori, 45, are charged with conspiracy to kidnap, conspiracy to violate the sanctions against Iran, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and conspiracy to launder money.
