Statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the Extradition of Polad Omarov from Czechia to the United States

The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the extradition of Polad Omarov from Czechia to the United States:

“Last year, I announced charges against three defendants for their roles in a conspiracy to murder a U.S. citizen who has long been targeted by the Government of Iran. At the time of the announcement, two of the defendants were in U.S. custody, and we said that the long arm of the law would find and bring to justice those who seek to threaten, silence, or harm American citizens. Today, we have done just that. The third defendant, Polad Omarov, was extradited to the United States to face charges for attempting to murder on U.S. soil, a journalist, author, and human rights activist who is a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin. 

“We are grateful to our Czech government counterparts for this extradition.

“The Department of Justice will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to undermine the rights to which every American citizen is entitled.”