Masih Alinejad: Man 'armed with AK-47' arrested near dissident Iranian journalist's home

Masih Alinejad

Iranian dissident journalist Masih Alinejad has reported an alleged 'assassination plot' against her.

US-based Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad has fled her New York home after a man was arrested nearby armed with an assault rifle.

Alinejad posted a video on Twitter that shows a man outside her front door. She claimed the man was "armed" and attempted to enter her home.

New York Police Department said it had arrested a 23-year-old man who drove through a stop sign and did not have a driving license. The New York Times reported that police also found a loaded automatic rifle and briefcase with $1,000 in cash.

Although police did not link the man to Alinejad, reports said he had been "lurking" around her Brooklyn home for two days prior to his arrest.

Alinejad told The New York Times that since the arrest she has since sought safety elsewhere.

"I came here in America to be safe," she said.

"First, they were trying to kidnap me. And now I see a man with a loaded gun trying to enter my house. I mean, it’s shocking."

The dissident journalist has been one of the most vocal critics of the Iranian government, particularly over gender issues, and was the target of an alleged kidnap plot.