A man from Pakistan, believed to have links with Iran, has been indicted in the United States for his alleged involvement in a thwarted scheme to murder a US statesman or officials, as informed by the Department of Justice on Tuesday. Asif Merchant (46) has been accused of making attempts to enlist individuals in the US to execute the plan in vengeance for the American assassination of Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ senior commander, Qassem Soleimani in 2020, a criminal accusation reveals.
The proposition, which involves the potential targeting of former president Donald Trump – who had sanctioned the drone attack on Soleimani during his presidential tenure – was not aimed at assassinating Trump, a source with knowledge of the situation clarified.
Merchant, who is perceived by the prosecution to have spent some time in Iran before journeying to the US from Pakistan, was indicted in New York’s Brooklyn borough federal court with contract killing. On 17th July, federal jurisdiction decreed his detention, court documents revealed.
The Department of Justice has been persistently striving to combat Iran’s audacious and persistent attempts of avenging the assassination of Iranian General Soleimani, stated the Attorney General, Merrick Garland. Court papers don’t disclose the supposed targets of the conspiracy. A criminal accusation implies that Merchant informed an informant of law enforcement that one target would surrounded by “security everywhere”.
The department’s spokesperson refused to provide further comments. Avraham Moskowitz, Merchant’s attorney, didn’t react promptly to a comment request. “We haven’t received any information on this matter from the US government. However, it is apparent that the operation manner being discussed contradicts Iran’s policy to legally indict General Soleimani’s assassin,” the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York relayed to Reuters.
Trump, who is the Republican nominee for the Presidential elections on November 5th, was injured in an assassination attempt at a campaign gathering in Pennsylvania the previous month. Garland confirmed on Tuesday that no evidence has been uncovered linking Merchant to the attempt, which, according to officials, was executed by a lone 20-year-old gunman.
The presidential team of Trump was not instantly available for feedback.
Authorities derailed Merchant’s scheme prior to the execution of any assault. A person who Merchant approached in April to assist with the conspiracy alerted the officials to his activities, subsequently becoming a covert source of information as revealed in the complaint.
It is claimed by the prosecutors that Merchant communicated to the covert source about his intentions which consisted of pilfering documents from a specific target and administering demonstrations across the US, as per the reports from Reuters.
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