An Iranian Man and 2 Canadians Have Been Charged in a Murder-for-Hire Plot on US Soil
An Iranian man, along with two Canadians, has been charged in a disturbing murder-for-hire plot on US soil. The indictment alleges that Naji Sharifi Zindashti, in collaboration with the Canadian men, conspired to kill two Maryland residents, including a defector from Iran who had sought refuge in the United States.
The case is part of a rising trend of transnational repression, with countries like Iran and China targeting dissidents and defectors for campaigns of harassment and violence. The Justice Department has been vocal about combating such actions, as highlighted by Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, who stated, To those in Iran who plot murders on US soil and the criminal actors who work with them, let today’s charges send a clear message: the Department of Justice will pursue you as long as it takes – and wherever you are – and deliver justice.
The intended victims have not been identified, but they are said to have fled to the US following the defection of one of them from Iran. Fortunately, the murder-for-hire plot was disrupted before any harm could be inflicted.
This case follows previous incidents involving Iran, such as the plot to kill an Iranian American author and activist, as well as a failed assassination attempt against former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton. The unveiling of this latest case coincides with heightened tensions between the US and Iran, including a recent drone strike attributed to Iran-backed militias that resulted in the deaths of three American troops.
Naji Sharifi Zindashti, believed to be residing in Iran, is suspected of operating a criminal network at the behest of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security. This network has been involved in orchestrating assassinations, kidnappings, and other acts of transnational repression against individuals critical of the Iranian regime, including within the United States.
In a related development, the US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions against Zindashti and his associates. These sanctions will prevent them from engaging in business transactions in the US or with any US person.
It is alleged that Zindashti worked in coordination with Damion Patrick John Ryan and Adam Richard Pearson, using encrypted messaging services to recruit potential assassins to travel to the US and carry out the planned killings. Ryan and Pearson are currently serving prison sentences in Canada on unrelated charges.
The indictment charges all three men with conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. The proceedings are taking place in federal court in Minnesota, with one of the defendants found to be living illegally under an assumed name in the state during the development of the plot.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threats posed by transnational repression and the importance of international cooperation in combating these dangerous operations.
(Note: This article does not contain any explicit notes about adherence to guidelines.)
