By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Jan 27 vlog
SDNY COURTHOUSE, March 18 - A man from Azerbaijan was arrested with an AK-47 style assault rifle surveilling the Brooklyn home of an Iranian journalist, Inner City Press exclusively reported learned on July 29, 2022,
In the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York past 5 pm that day, a detention or release proceeding was held by Magistrate Judge Sarah Cave on defendant Khalid Mehdiyev. He was heavy-set and in a black T-shirt, escorted in by two US Marshals. Inner City Press was the only media there.
On January 27, 2023, Mehdiyev's paymaster was presented, but not arraigned, again before Judge Cave. He was in a black t-shirt, repeating "Da" sullenly, detained on consent with a taxpayer-funded lawyer. Vlog here
On February 1, both Amirov and Mehdiyev were on court before District Judge Colleen McMahon.
On March 4, Inner City Press went to the final pre-trial conference, about Omarov's motion to suppress, ending with Masih Alinejad, then and upcoming.
On March 6 Omarov's motion to suppress was denied, with quotes from his interview on the jet including "I just really want to see a lawyer cause I don't know your laws. But to speak that's no problem. I don't want you to think that I am hiding something."
There was discussion of whether the jury will hear that Iran hired the "Russian mob," or merely Guli vor -
On March 10, jury selection went past 5 pm and still wasn't finished.
On March 11, opening statements, BOP witness and ... Mehdiyev, about the Russian mob, Guli vor, and Polad. The AUSA says he has two to five hours more - Judge McMahon said tighten it up. Thread here, more / extra on Substack here.
On March 13 Mehdiyev was crossed by Omarov's lawyer about, among many other things, making up the death of his mother and his visa fraud, thread
On March 14 Mehdiyev's mother testified then was cross examined. She denied wanting a green card, and that she told her son on a recorded call that they "had" to get to the US. More on X for Subscribers here and Substack here
On March 17 the trial continued including with the FBI's Iran squad chief testifying that Mehdiyev got paid, $30,000 in cash - thread
On March 18, Masih Alinejad herself testified (Inner City Press thread) - there was no cross examination, and after the charge conference, closing arguments approach...
Previously, more on X for Subscribers here and Substack here
The case is USA v. Medhiyev, et al., 1:22-cr-438 (McMahon)
***
Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.
Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
