Caution:

Seyed Mohammad Forouzan and Ruhollah Bazghandi, along with additional co-conspirators Hossein Sedighi and an individual known only as "Haj Taher", are wanted on charges of Murder-For-Hire, Conspiracy to Commit Murder-for-Hire, and Conspiracy to Violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. These charges relate to the alleged actions by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to target Iranian dissidents. The regime views these dissidents as enemies of the state because of their criticism of the regime’s human rights violations and their outspoken rhetoric against the Iranian Government.

On July 28, 2022, a member of an Eastern European criminal organization, was arrested with a loaded AK-47 style assault rifle and 66 rounds of ammunition near a prominent Iranian dissident’s home in Brooklyn, New York.  High-ranking members in the Eastern European criminal organization allegedly tasked the arrested individual to murder the prominent Iranian dissident. Forouzan, Bazghandi, and the other two men allegedly directed the murder-for-hire plot that resulted in the arrest. Forouzan is a self-identified member of the Basij, a voluntary auxiliary division of the IRGC. Forouzan allegedly communicated directly with members of the murder-for-hire network about the victim. Forouzan allegedly conducted internet searches, including image searches, relating to the victim during the murder-for-hire plot and was allegedly in communication with the Eastern European criminal organization during the duration of the plot.

In October of 2024, Forouzan, Bazghandi, and the other two men were indicted in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, New York, New York, on the charges listed above and federal warrants were issued for their arrests on October 17, 2024.