BROOKLYN, New York – In a brazen attempt to silence a vocal critic of the Iranian regime, two Russian Mob leaders were sentenced to 25 years in prison for a murder-for-hire plot targeting Masih Alinejad, a journalist, author, and human rights activist.
Rafat Amirov, a/k/a “Farkhaddin Mirzoev,” a/k/a “PM,” a/k/a “Rome,” and Polad Omarov, a/k/a “Araz Aliyev,” a/k/a “Polad Qaqa,” a/k/a “Haci Qaqa,” were found guilty of murder-for-hire, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related charges in March 2025.
According to the superseding indictment, Amirov and Omarov, high-ranking members of an Azerbaijani faction of the Russian Mob, worked with other members to kill Masih Alinejad on instructions from high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The plot involved actors on three continents, culminating with a hitman with an AK-47 outside Ms. Alinejad’s apartment in Brooklyn. The Government of Iran, a sponsor of terrorism, assassination, and espionage around the globe, brazenly brought its efforts to murder Masih Alinejad to New York.
“The plot exposed at trial involved actors on three continents, culminating with a hitman with an AK-47 outside Ms. Alinejad’s apartment in Brooklyn,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Yesterday’s sentences send a clear message: the DOJ and our partners will expose and severely punish those who target U.S. citizens and bring terror to our community.”
Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg said: “The defendants and their criminal associates came chillingly close to gunning down an Iranian-American journalist on the streets of New York. Tehran has long sought to silence Ms. Alinejad, and after multiple failed kidnapping attempts, turned to Omarov and Amirov and their organization to stalk and murder her.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, two highly ranked members of the Russian Mob, attempted to assassinate Masih Alinejad to permanently silence her criticism of the Iranian government and public advocacy of human rights. These defendants operated as unlawful enforcers for a foreign government to target an American journalist on our nation’s soil.”
Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov were sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for their participation in the murder-for-hire plot targeting Masih Alinejad on behalf of the Government of Iran.
The case is part of a well-documented and disturbing rise in plots involving criminal networks paid by Iran to target dissidents in the United States and around the world.
Mandatory Facts:
Defendant: Rafat Amirov, a/k/a “Farkhaddin Mirzoev,” a/k/a “PM,” a/k/a “Rome”
Criminal Charges: Murder-for-hire, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related charges
City and State: Brooklyn, New York
Exact Date: March 2025 (sentencing)
Sentence or Outcome: 25 years’ imprisonment
Related Federal Cases
- Mykola Zhytnichenko, Attempted Murder, New York 2023 · New York
- Jaime Rivera, Murder in Aid of Racketeering, New York 2005 · New York
- Frank Jenkins, Execution-Style Murder, New York 2014 · New York
- Larry Pagett, Murder in Aid of Racketeering, New York 2024 · New York
- Johnny Ray Gasca, Kidnapping, New York 2021 · New York
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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