Mother of gunman hired to kill Masih Alinejad identifies co-conspirator to order hit

The mother of Khalid Mehdiyev, the gunman who tried to kill Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad, delivered emotional testimony in court Friday identifying her son's alleged co-conspirator Polad Omarov as the man who ordered the hit job.

Appearing visibly shaken in court, Ms. Mehdiyeva recounted a video phone call Omarov made to her and her husband sometime in 2022.

“My husband was praying. We had a caller, and I covered my head. We exchanged hellos," said Ms. Mehdiyeva, "He said, ‘My name is Polad. Where is your son? I sent him to do a job for me."

He allegedly told Ms. Mehdiyeva that her son had failed at the task he ordered him to do. Mehdiyev's attempt to murder Alinejad was unsuccessful. Because of the botched murder attempt, Omarov told Ms. Mehdiyeva her son put all of them in trouble.

Once Alinejad spotted Khalid, who was lurking around her home in Brooklyn, peering into her window and wandering around her, she reported him to the FBI. He had been stalking Alinejad's every move, even sleeping in his vehicle outside her home for at least two days.

Threats from the Russian Underworld

Just hours after Omarov's call, at 3 a.m., an unfamiliar American number appeared on Ms. Mehdiyeva's phone. It was Khalid. Unbeknownst to her and Omarov, Khalid was in jail.

Ms. Mehdiyeva's voice trembled as she looked her son's alleged co-conspirator in the eye.

“He (Omarov) is the one who devastated our lives,” said Ms. Mehdiyeva, speaking in Azeri through an interpreter.

The threats did not stop after that call.

Ms. Mehdiyeva testified that members of the Russian mafia group that her son belonged to —Vor Zakone, also known as "Thieves-in-Law"— continued to harass her.

Fearing for their safety, the family fled Baku for the countryside.

Eventually, with assistance from the FBI, they were brought to the United States.

Cross Examination

During cross-examination, the defense sought to challenge Ms. Mehdiyeva’s credibility.

They questioned whether she had sought a U.S. green card prior to her arrival. She denied it, insisting she was only in the country due to threats in Azerbaijan.

“Do you remember telling your son on a recorded jail call that you would travel to Macedonia to enter the U.S.?” the defense asked.

“I don’t remember that,” she replied.

The defense further revealed that the U.S. government had provided financial support to the Mehdiyev family, including securing employment for her husband and eldest son.

Ms. Mehdiyeva had also worked as a nanny before quitting to attend the trial, leaving her in debt to her employer for $4,000 in prepaid wages. In total, the government provided the family with $31,120 in support.

Who are Vor Zakone?

The Russian criminal underworld developed in the gulags or the prisons of the Soviet Union and globalized in the post- Soviet world. The Vor Zakone evolved into a transnational organization with operations in 15 former Soviet republics and the countries of the former Eastern bloc.

Dr. Louise Isobel Shelley, an academic who specializes in terrorism, corruption, and transnational crime testified on behalf of the state as expert in court Friday. Shelley often consults with governments around the world about the Russian mafia.

Shelley said members of the Russian mafia carry out assassinations on behalf of state actors and are also involved in kidnappings, extortion, and money laundering.

Her testimony significant to the state which alleges the Iranian government-sponsored the murder-for-hire plot.

The plot to assassinate Alinejad was allegedly orchestrated as part of Iran’s campaign to silence one of its most vocal critics, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Gutwillig.

As the trial continues, the chilling testimonies shed light on the dangerous intersection of organized crime and states, a web reportedly stretching from Tehran to Baku to the streets of New York City.