Iranians plotted to kidnap journalist in New York, charges U.S. 17 Jul 2021, 15:40 GMT+10 WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. prosecutors charged four Iranian intelligence operatives on Tuesday with conspiring to kidnap a New York journalist and human rights activist who was critical of Iran, according to a U.S. Justice Department indictment. Though the target of the plot was not named, Reuters has confirmed she is Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad, who has worked with the U.S. government-funded Voice of America Persian language service and reports on human rights issues in Iran. Alinejad, when reached by Reuters after the indictment was released, said she was shocked. She also said she had been working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the past eight months ago, in a bid to identify the plotters.