A man arrested in New York City last month near the home of an Iranian opposition activist and writer has been indicted on a weapons count
Mehdiyev initially claimed he was in the neighborhood looking for a room to rent but later admitted he had been in the area “looking for someone,” according to the criminal complaint.
He has been held without bail since his arrest July 29. A message was left with his attorney Thursday evening. A Yonkers man is in federal custody arrested on a weapons charge after traveling with a loaded AK-47 near the NYC home of Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad. Alinejad became a U.S. citizen in 2019 after working for years as a journalist in Iran. She fled the country after its disputed 2009 presidential election and has become a prominent figure on Farsi-language satellite channels abroad that criticize Iran.
Last year, an Iranian intelligence officer and others were charged with attempting to kidnap Alinejad and take her back to Iran. Officials in Iran have denied the charge.