Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Iranian dissident says man with AK-47 was sent to her Brooklyn home by Iran to ‘get rid of’ her

“The whole regime is scared of women,” says Masih Alinejad after a man came to her home with a loaded machine gun

Bevan Hurley
Tuesday 02 August 2022 18:04 BST
Comments
Iranian dissident says man was sent to her Brooklyn home to ‘ready to kill' her

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

US-based Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad says she believes the Islamic Republic of Iran sent a man with a loaded AK-47-style machine gun to her Brooklyn home to “get rid” of her.

Police arrested 23-year-old Khalid Mehdiyev after he was spotted outside Ms Alinejad’s home in Flatbush, New York, last Thursday.

The NYPD said in a statement that officers found a loaded AK-47, an illegally modified magazine and other weapons when they pulled him over for running a stop sign shortly after he left her address.

Ms Alinejad, a prominent women’s rights activist and critic of the Iranian regime, told The Story with Martha MacCallum on Fox News that she wouldn’t be intimidated into silence.

“I was just in my home, working, being alone, and this man was trying to enter my home,” she told Fox News, adding that her stepchildren had been home at the time.

“When I learned from the FBI that he had a gun, loaded, ready to kill me I was shocked.”

Ms Alinejad posted security camera footage to social media showing the alleged suspect appearing to try to gain entry to her home.

Masih Alinejad called on the US to do more to protect Iranians who are protesting against the regime
Masih Alinejad called on the US to do more to protect Iranians who are protesting against the regime (Fox News)

“Just imagine if he had opened the door who knows how many of my neighbours would have been killed in Brooklyn, in New York,” she told Fox News.

In 2021, the FBI identified Ms Alinejad as the alleged target of a kidnapping plot by four suspected Iranian intelligence officers.

Prosecutors have charged the four men in Manhattan with plotting to lure Ms Alinejad from New York City to Iran.

Ms Alinejad became a US citizen in 2019 after being exiled from Iran over her outspoken criticism of women’s rights in the Republic.

“I don’t have any weapon. My weapon is my camera. My weapon is my voice,” she told Fox News.

Ms Alinejad has long campaigned to end the compulsory wearing of hijabs in Iran, and says women continue to send her videos of their protests: “That scares the regime. The whole regime is scared of women.”

She called on the US to do more to stand up for human rights and punish Iran’s alleged terror tactics.

“They bury human rights under a nuclear deal,” she said.

Mr Mehdiyev is facing 10 counts including criminal possession of a machine gun and unlawful possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device. He has been locked up without bail.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in