Two Russian mafia members have each been sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempting to assassinate Iranian dissident @AlinejadMasih in New York in a plot orchestrated by the Iranian regime.The attempt failed. Masih survived. Her voice remains as powerful as ever.
This murder-for-hire plot, orchestrated by the Iranian regime and executed through the Russian mob, is a chilling example of transnational repression: when authoritarian regimes attempt to silence dissent abroad by targeting exiled activists, journalists, and human rights defenders.
When dictators send assassins to target individuals on democratic soil, they do more than attack one person тАУ they undermine human freedom everywhere.
Democracies must protect dissidents in exile and hold authoritarian regimes accountable for their cross-border crimes.
