Man With Loaded Assault Rifle Arrested Outside Iranian Writer’s Home
New York TimesJul 31, 2022
US federal agents arrested Khalid Mehdiyev on Thurs. near the New York City home of famed Iranian writer and dissident, Masih Alinejad, having found an AK-47 with an illegally scrubbed serial number in his car.
Police say they observed Mehdiyev sitting in his car outside Alinejad's house for several hours on two days, adding that he also left his car to look through the windows of her home. Alinejad alleges the actions were an assassination attempt.
As an American citizen, Alinejad is free to advocate for human rights without being targeted by hostile foreign actors. The US government must do all it can to preserve her freedom of speech, and her right to pursue vital journalism and advocacy.
Allegations of Iran's involvement in any potential harm to Alinejad are absurd and a red herring. Rather than mud-slinging, the US and its international partners should instead focus on reviving the floundering nuclear deal talks that languished for nearly a year and a half.