US Says Iran’s Intelligence Ministry Directly Involved in Murder of ‘Masoud Molavi’; Details of His Killing in Turkey
A senior US official told Reuters on Wednesday that the United States believes Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security was directly involved in the killing of a government “opponent” last November in Turkey.
According to the report, a senior unnamed US official told Reuters that given Iran’s history of targeted assassinations of Iranian dissidents and the methods previously used in Turkey, the US government believes “Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence was directly involved in Verdanjani’s murder.”
Former Intelligence Employee; Whistleblower Against the Islamic Republic
Masoud Molavi Verdanjani was shot and killed on November 14, 2019 (Aban 23, 1398) in Istanbul’s Sisli neighborhood. Reuters had previously reported that two intelligence officers at Iran’s consulate in Istanbul were involved in Verdanjani’s killing.
Some media outlets refer to Masoud Molavi as a former Iranian intelligence employee who later became a government opponent. He was the administrator of a Telegram channel called “Black Box” that published content against government officials, including judicial authorities.
Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, also tweeted that “Reports that Iranian diplomats were involved in an attempted assassination of an opponent [of the regime] in Turkey are concerning, but entirely consistent with their mission.”
What Turkey Says About This “Assassination”
Turkish police had previously stated that the killing of Masoud Molavi Verdanjani was extraordinary. Turkish authorities also told Reuters last week that Ankara would soon present an official response to Iran regarding the case and the role of Iranian officials with diplomatic passports in the matter.
Turkish newspaper Sabah also published more details about the killing of Masoud Molavi Verdanjani on Tuesday, April 1st. In its report, the newspaper compared similarities between this killing and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi Arabian newspaper critic.
The report mentions an Iranian named Ali Esfanjani, whom Masoud Molavi met with in Istanbul. The newspaper writes that Masoud Molavi did not know that Esfanjani had provided his information to two Iranian businessmen who worked for Iranian intelligence.
According to the Sabah report, on November 23rd, Ali Esfanjani met with Abdolvahab Koçak, who is accused of killing Masoud Molavi, before the murder occurred. After that, Ali Esfanjani met with Masoud Molavi, and as they were walking on the street, Abdolvahab Koçak shot Masoud Molavi 11 times from behind.
Turkish newspaper Sabah wrote that after Masoud Molavi’s killing, Ali Esfanjani obtained forged travel documents (fake passport) from the Islamic Republic’s consulate in Istanbul and, with the help of individuals suspected of being from the Ministry of Intelligence, fled to Iran under a false name.
In the meantime, Turkish security forces arrested a person named “Siavash Abadzhary Shalmanzari,” who had helped Ali Esfanjani escape.
According to this report, Abdolvahab Koçak, accused of Masoud Molavi’s murder, hid after the assassination at a location belonging to “Naji Sharifi Zindshaati,” a fugitive drug trafficker, and was later arrested by Turkish police. Additionally, Abdolvahab Koçak’s brother, named “Ali,” is suspected of killing the director of Jame TV in Turkey.
Source: Voice of America
