Azerbaijan’s intelligence agency disclosed today that it had prevented an assassination attempt targeting the country’s chief rabbi, Rabbi Shneur Segal.
Authorities reported that Agil Aslanov, a known drug dealer, was recruited by the Iranian Quds Force to carry out the mission. Aslanov allegedly met with a commander from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps last autumn, who gave him “precise instructions” on how to execute the killing.
Azerbaijani officials stated that Aslanov had accepted a $200,000 payment offer in return for carrying out the murder of Rabbi Segal.
The plot was reportedly stopped in January by Azerbaijani security personnel, who also prevented an attack that had been planned on an educational center within the country.
Aslanov, a Georgian national, has since been apprehended and faces charges related to terrorism and attempted murder.
Rabbi Segal shared with the Washington Post that he became aware of the assassination plot targeting a “religious figure” through media coverage. Despite the threat, he emphasized that, “Jews live in tranquility and without fear” in Azerbaijan.
{Matzav.com}