DOJ Documents Reveal Foiled Plan To Kidnap Brooklyn-Based Journalist

Four Iranians have been charged by the Department of Justice over an audacious scheme to kidnap a Brooklyn-based human rights activist and journalist who has written works critical of the Iranian regime.

The Hill reported that a superseding indictment from the U.S. District Court from the Southern District of New York was unsealed Tuesday and showed that the DOJ charged intel agents Omid Noori, Mahmoud Khazein, Kiya Sadeghi, and Iranian intelligence official Alireza Shavaroghi Farahani with multiple charges, including conspiring to kidnap and bank and wire fraud conspiracy.

Prosecutors did not identify the journalist in question in the documents, but the unsealed indictment referred to the target as “Victim-1.”

Audrey Strauss, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement that if the kidnapping was not foiled, “the victim’s fate would have been uncertain at best.”

In an opinion piece published last year by the Washington Post, Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad wrote that government officials from Iran initiated a social media campaign promoting her abduction.

Alinejad is known for her criticism of the current Iranian regime. She has written and published works that exposed the Iranian government’s alleged abusive practices.

FBI Assistant Director William Sweeney Jr. in a statement said: “This is not some far-fetched movie plot. We allege a group, backed by the Iranian government, conspired to kidnap a U.S. based journalist here on our soil and forcibly return her to Iran. Not on our watch."

Shortly after news of the unsealed documents emerged, Alinejad wrote on Twitter that the plot "was orchestrated under Rouhani." Alinejad was referring to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

In her Post piece, Alinejad wrote that the plot wasn’t “entirely unexpected” as she has experienced “many forms of intimidation” from the Iranian government for years.

Alinejad confirmed to NBC that she was the target in the plot. She claimed the agents whose plans were unsuccessful worked under the Ministry of Intelligence.

The dissident journalist added her brother has been taken into custody.

In the charging documents, it was revealed that Farahani and his group did research on how they could get the journalist out of Brooklyn and send her back to Iran.

Another person, Niloufar Bahadorifar, was identified by officials as a financial services provider in Alinejad’s kidnapping scheme.

The Associated Press reported that Bahadorifar, also called “Nellie,” was arrested on July 1 for her services to Iranian entities and residents. Her arrest was also linked to violated sanctions in Iran.

Bahadorifar has not been charged in the kidnapping plot and has pleaded not guilty to the charges against her after her arrest.

Authorities said the plot to abduct Alinejad was just part of a bigger plan to lure other individuals critical of the government to Iran.

The subjects hailed from different countries, including the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

The Department of Justice seal is seen on a lectern ahead of a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. Nov. 28, 2018. Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images