Alleged Iranian agent Mohammad Reza Sadeghnia tired to hire a hitman to kill a critic of Iranian regime in the US and spied on another in the UK

According to US diplomatic cables leaked by WikiLeaks, Mohammad Reza Sadeghnia, 43, admitted being an Iranian agent and carried out surveillance on 'two anti-Iranian government broadcasters — London-based Voice of America commentator Reza Nourizadeh and Jamshid Sharmahd, who runs Los Angeles-based radio programming for opposition group Tondar.'

He lived for years in Ann Arbor, Mich., and was arrested in July 2009 for trying to hire a hitman to kill Sharmahd for $32,000. He confessed to the crime after the man he tried to hire refused his offer and agreed to testify against him.

He was released a year later and allowed to travel to Iran while on probation to see his ailing father on the promise that he would return by Oct. 25. He has failed to keep this deadline and has not come back yet so far.

Sharmahd told the Associated Press that Sadeghnia pretended to offer him donation or suggestions and insisted on seeing him in person.

He said,

"There's no rights or laws that they uphold, they're violent against their detractors and this is something every detractor, including myself, knows."

Sadeghnia also claimed to be a "big fan" of Nourizadeh and met with him to monitor his 'habits' and take photos that ended up with Iran's deputy intelligence minister Majid Alavi.


Sources: AP


Comment: Iran engaging in these sorts of activities is nothing new but was Sadeghnia allowed to travel back to Iran as part of some secret deal or prisoner swap?

Some previous similar or related stories:

Taqiyya vs Taqiyya, "they lie to us, and we lie to them" - Qatar Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani on relations with Iran

WikiLeaks summary - Saudis donors fund terrorists, Saudi king wants Iranian snake's head cut off, Iranian Red Crescent is a front group for Iran

Secular Shiite Ayad Allawi says Iran definitely finances terror

Nigeria said to have evidence linking Iran to secret weapons shipment to the country

For similar or related stories posted after this article, copy the title of this article and paste it in the search box on top of the page and click search.

For even more similar or related stories, click on the 'Labels' below.