US court finds Pakistani man guilty of conspiracy to assassinate Trump and other US politicians
Kyiv • UNN
A New York court has found Asif Merchant guilty of plotting to assassinate US politicians on behalf of Iran. He faces life imprisonment for terrorism.
A jury in New York has convicted 47-year-old Asif Merchant, who was sent to the United States by Iranian special services to organize political assassinations. Bloomberg reports this, writes UNN.
Details
The investigation established that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operative tried to hire assassins to eliminate Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Nikki Haley during election rallies. Merchant was arrested in Texas in July 2024, and has now been officially found guilty of attempted terrorism and preparing murder for hire.
Prosecution evidence and FBI informant testimony
Prosecutors provided the court with irrefutable evidence of guilt, including audio and video recordings of the perpetrator's meetings, made by a secret federal informant. During the court hearing, it became known that handlers in Iran provided Merchant with a clear list of targets and financial resources to recruit perpetrators in the United States.
Despite the defense's attempts to prove that the defendant only feigned preparation for the crime for the safety of his family in Iran, the jury supported the prosecution's position regarding the reality of the terrorist threat.
I thought there would come a time when I would be arrested, and then I would tell the government about the whole plan
Legal consequences and expectation of verdict
A conviction under the attempted terrorism statute carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, underscoring the seriousness of the attempt on the US state system.
Merchant's lawyers insisted that he was merely a tool in the hands of the Iranian regime and deliberately sought the failure of his mission, but these arguments did not convince the court. The date of the final sentencing will be set in the near future, while law enforcement agencies continue to strengthen the protection of key political figures in the country.