Washington, DC — The National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI) thanks the US Department of Justice for its investigation into a plot by the Islamic regime in Iran to kidnap and harm Iranian activist Masih Alinejad in New York City. The Islamic Republic has assassinated, kidnapped, threatened, and intimidated its opponents at home and in exile for more than four decades and its war on dissidents and activists continues to this day.

We are thankful that no harm befell Ms. Alinejad. We will continue to stand in solidarity with her and promote her activism for human rights and secular democracy in Iran.

The threat, this time posed to Ms. Alinejad, is one with which untold numbers of Iranian and Iranian-American human rights activists, dissidents, and opponents of the Islamic Republic live every day. Iranian-Americans often live in fear of threats, intimidation, or worse by agents of the Islamic Republic. We therefore call on the Biden administration to conduct a comprehensive investigation to any and all individuals connected to the Islamic Republic and its affiliates in the United States. Any such individuals should be thoroughly investigated for any and all illegal activity. This threat to Iranian-Americans and Iranian activists in the United States must not be ignored.

Furthermore, we call on the Biden administration to immediately recall its negotiating team from Vienna and the JCPOA talks. Continuing to negotiate with a regime that is attempting to assassinate American citizens on US soil is unacceptable and would be an utter abdication of moral leadership.

Finally, NUFDI condemns the Islamic Republic’s lobbyists and apologists in the West for providing cover to the regime, in the form of slander and character attacks against Iranian activists and members of the Iranian-American community, under which the Islamic Republic attempts to carry out such heinous attacks.

NUFDI stands in solidarity with Masih Alinejad and all other activists who live under threat from this criminal regime every day but who will not end their fight until Iran is free.