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Ryan Robertson Anchor/Investigative Reporter
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DOJ indicts three Iranian men, Biden weighs sanctions over Rushdie murder

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Ryan Robertson Anchor/Investigative Reporter
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The Department of Justice is indicting three Iranian men in a ransomware attack on U.S. infrastructure and government. But it is unlikely they will ever actually see the inside of a courtroom. The DOJ unsealed the indictment against the three Iranian nationals on Wednesday.

Mansour Ahmadi, Ahmad Khatibi Aghda and Amir Hossein Nickaein Ravari engaged in a scheme to gain unauthorized access to the computer systems of hundreds of victims, according to the indictment. The men are accused of targeting electric utilities, governments, small businesses, non-profits, hospitals and individuals. The hackers went after groups in the U.S., U.K., Israel, Russia and their home country of Iran.

The DOJ sanctioned the three men directly, saying they are part of a hacking-for-hire operation and sought only to enrich themselves and not Iran. However, the Department of Justice said the Iranian government’s failure to follow international norms is creating a safe haven for cyber criminals to flourish.

The Biden administration is also considering sanctions for several entities in Iran for offering a bounty to kill author Salman Rushdie.

In August, Rushdie was stabbed 10-15 times in New York before he was to give a lecture.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the 15th Khordad Foundation, a supposed charitable organization in Iran, and dozens of state-run media outlets offered millions of dollars to anyone who murdered the author.

In 1989, Iran’s former Supreme Ayatollah issued a fatwah, or Islamic edict, demanding Rushdie’s death over a novel which fictionalized elements of the Prophet Mohammad’s life.

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THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IS CHARGING THREE IRANIAN MEN IN A RANSOMWARE ATTACK ON U.S. INFRASTRUCTURE AND GOVERNMENT.

IT’S UNLIKELY THEY’LL EVER ACTUALLY SEE THE INSIDE OF A US COURTROOM THOUGH.

THE D.O.J. UNSEALED THE INDICTMENT AGAINST THE THREE IRANIAN NATIONALS THIS WEEK.

THE MEN ARE ACCUSED OF TARGETING ELECTRIC UTILITIES, GOVERNMENTS, SMALL BUSINESSES, NON-PROFITS, HOSPITALS AND HUNDREDS OF INDIVIDUALS.

THE HACKERS WENT AFTER GROUPS IN THE US, UK, ISRAEL, RUSSIA AND THEIR HOME-COUNTRY.

THE D.O.J. IS SANCTIONING THE THREE MEN DIRECTLY, SAYING THEY’RE PART OF A HACKING-FOR-HIRE OPERATION AND SOUGHT ONLY TO ENRICH THEMSELVES, AND NOT IRAN.

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS ALSO CONSIDERING SANCTIONS FOR SEVERAL ENTITIES IN IRAN FOR OFFERING A BOUNTY TO KILL AUTHOR SALMAN RUSHDIE.

IN AUGUST, RUSHDIE WAS STABBED 10-15 TIMES IN NEW YORK BEFORE HE WAS TO GIVE A LECTURE.

ACCORDING TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, AN IRANIAN CHARITABLE ORANIZATION AND DOZENS OF STATE-RUN MEDIA OUTLETS OFFERED MILLIONS TO ANYONE WHO MURDERED THE AUTHOR.

IRAN’S FORMER SUPREME AYATOLLAH ISSUED A FATWAH, OR ISLAMIC EDICT, DEMANDING RUSHDIE’S DEATH OVER A NOVEL WHICH FICTIONALIZED ELEMENTS OF THE PROPHET MOHAMMAD’S LIFE.