Iranian dissident Masoud Molavi Vardanjani in Istanbul [Twitter]
Reuters: EXCLUSIVE-Iranian diplomats instigated killing of dissident in Istanbul, Turkish officials say
* Vardanjani was shot dead in Istanbul in November
* Police say victim was cyber expert and critic of Tehran
* Iranian sources say Revolutionary Guards warned Vardanjani
* One suspect smuggled back to Iran, official says
ISTANBUL, March 27 (Reuters) - Two intelligence officers at Iran's consulate in Turkey instigated the killing last November of an Iranian dissident in Istanbul who criticised the Islamic Republic's political and military leaders, two senior Turkish officials told Reuters.
The accusation is likely to strain ties between Turkey and Iran, two regional powers which had grown closer under the government of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
Masoud Molavi Vardanjani was shot dead on an Istanbul street on Nov. 14, 2019, a little over a year after the Turkish officials say he left Iran.
A police report into the killing, published two weeks ago, said Vardanjani had an "unusual profile". It said he worked in cyber security at Iran's defence ministry and had become a vocal critic of the Iranian authorities.
Read more ....
Update #1: Iranian diplomats instigated killing of dissident in Istanbul, Turkish officials say (Middle East Monitor)
Update #2: Another Khashoggi? Iran murdered dissident in Istanbul, why the cover-up? (Jerusalem Post)
WNU Editor: What we know is that an Iranian by the name of Masoud Molavi Vardanjani defected from Iran. He fled to Turkey. And then was murdered in Istanbul. Clearly someone wanted him death. The only question that remains unanswered is .... will the Turkish government investigate this case with the same intensity as they did with murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
