Jordanian-Born Texan Charged With Murdering Iranian Student

Gelareh Bagherzadeh was shot dead in January 2012.

U.S. federal prosecutors say a fraud investigation has led them to charge a Jordanian-born man with murdering an Iranian student and women's rights activist in Texas.

Ali Irsan, 57, was indicted by a grand jury in Houston, Texas, on May 23 for the January 2012 killing of Gelareh Bagherzadeh.

Bagherzadeh, a 30-year-old outspoken critic of Tehran's human rights abuses, was shot dead while talking with a friend on her cellphone.

Her body was discovered behind the wheel of her car after it crashed in Houston.

An FBI-led police team arrested Irsan, a naturalized U.S. citizen, on May 23 along with his wife, Shmou Ali Alrawabdeh and their adult daughter, Nadia Irsan.

The two women are charged with theft of public funds after allegedly falsifying documents to receive Social Security disability benefits.
Based on reporting by AP and Reuters