Activist Alinejad Says Iran’s Assassination Plot Just Strengthens Her

"I'm not scared," Alinejad told the AP after US authorities announced charges against three people who attempted to kill her on behalf of Iranian intelligence.

"I want to tell you that the Iranian regime thinks by trying to kill me, they will silence me, or silence other women. But they only strengthen me, make me more powerful to fight for democracy and give voice to brave women who are facing guns and bullets in the streets to get rid of the Islamic Republic."

Alinejad said the assassination attempt shows that the Islamic Republic is terrified of Iranian women demanding their rights, which she often promotes through social media. “They are scared of their own people,” she said. “Like millions of others I want freedom for my country. I don’t deserve to die for that.”

The US Justice Department on Friday charged three men with conspiring to assassinate the dissident Iranian activist and journalist.

Rafat Amirov, Polad Omarov and Khalid Mehdiyev were charged with murder-for-hire and money laundering for their role in the thwarted Tehran-backed plot, the Department of Justice said in a statement.

Iran has assassinated or kidnapped hundreds of opponents abroad in its four-decade history. Germany, France, Turkey and Iraq were among countries where Iranian intelligence conducted many deadly operations against opponents.