Federal prosecutors also accuse Afrasiabi of emailing Iranian officials, advising “retaliation” after the U.S. military airstrike that killed Iranian military general Qasem Soleimani,
BizPacreview reports.
At the time of the strike, he proposed the Iranian government “end all inspections and end all information on Iran’s nuclear activities pending a [United Nations Security Council] condemnation of the [United States’] illegal crime.” Afrasiabi claimed the move would “strike fear in the heart of [the] enemy.”
Afrasiabi, a former political science professor, lives in Massachusett but is also a citizen of Iran. The
Department of Justice claims that he has allegedly been “publishing books and articles that advance Iranian viewpoints while secretly employed by the Iranian mission to the United Nations,” which is a direct violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
The Department of Justice issued a press release: “Afrasiabi allegedly sought to influence the American public and American policymakers for the benefit of his employer, the Iranian government, by disguising propaganda as objective policy analysis and expertise.”
The U.S. Attorney’s office also accused the writer of pushing propaganda to the American public.
“Our arrest of Kaveh Afrasiabi makes it clear that the United States is not going to allow undeclared agents of Iran to operate in our country unchecked.”
Allegations include that Afrasiabe was paid, directed and controlled by Iran in order for him to lobby U.S. government officials to aid Iran’s interests, both politically and financially. He has supposedly been involved with Iranian propaganda for a very long time.....
.More