Authorities have arrested an armed man who was staking out the Brooklyn home of Iranian opposition journalist and women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad, which comes just one year after American authorities accused the Iranian government of orchestrating a plot to kidnap her. 

These are the scary scenes capturing a man who tried to enter my house in New York with a loaded gun to kill me.
Last year the FBI stopped the Islamic Republic from kidnapping me.
My crime is giving voice to voiceless people. The US administration must be tough on terror. pic.twitter.com/XsxlFLSlOk

— Masih Alinejad ?? (@AlinejadMasih) July 31, 2022

According to authorities, suspect Khalid Mehdiyev, 23, camped out in his car for two days outside of Alinejad’s home last week, where he looked into windows and attempted to open the front door of the residence. Authorities were made aware of his suspicious behavior and later pulled him over when he failed to stop at a stop sign. Upon searching his car, authorities found an AK-style rifle with its serial number removed, magazines, ammunition, additional license plates, and a suitcase containing $1,000 in cash. He was initially arrested for driving with a suspended license.

Upon questioning, Mehdiyev initially denied the weapon and cash was his, saying he was staking out the house to ask if he could rent a room. He later admitted the weapon and cash was his, saying he was “looking for someone.” Mehdiyev is being held without bail as an investigation into his intentions continues.

Last july, the United States accused Iranian intelligence services of orchestrating a plot to kidnap Masih Alinejad and bring her back to Iran due to her vocal criticisms of the Iranian government. US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Audrey Strauss said that “As alleged, four of the defendants monitored and planned to kidnap a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin who has been critical of the regime’s autocracy, and to forcibly take their intended victim to Iran, where the victim’s fate would have been uncertain at best.  Among this country’s most cherished freedoms is the right to speak one’s mind without fear of government reprisal.  A U.S. citizen living in the United States must be able to advocate for human rights without being targeted by foreign intelligence operatives.”

Federal prosecutors charged four Iranian nationals, described as “Iranian intelligence assets,” of conspiring to kidnap Alinejad, use speedboats to bring her to Venezuela and then eventually fly her to Iran. An indictment charged the four with conspiring to kidnap, conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and sanctions against the government of Iran, conspiring to commit bank and wire fraud, and conspiring to launder money. All four suspects are currently at large and believed to still be in Iran.

A statement by the attorney’s office also stated that “Prior to the plot to kidnap [Alinejad] on U.S. soil, the Government of Iran attempted to lure [Alinejad] to a third country in order to capture [Alinejad] for rendition to Iran.  In approximately 2018, Iranian government officials attempted to induce relatives of [Alinejad], who reside in Iran, to invite [Alinejad] to travel to a third country for the apparent purpose of having Victim-1 arrested or detained and transported to Iran for imprisonment.  [Alinejad]’s relatives did not accept the offer.  Iranian intelligence services have previously lured other Iranian dissidents from France and from the United States for the purposes of capturing and imprisoning regime critics…”