Michael Flynn's Business Partner Indicted Ahead of Trump Aide's Sentencing

Bijan Kian was indicted on charges of acting as an agent of Turkey, which wanted to extradite a cleric living in the U.S.
LOADINGERROR LOADING

WASHINGTON ― The day before former Trump aide Michael Flynn is set to be sentenced for lying about his communications with Russian officials, a court unsealed a grand jury indictment alleging his former business partner worked as an agent of Turkey.

Former Flynn business partner Bijan Rafiekian ― aka Bijan Kian ― and Turkish businessman Kamil Alptekin were named in a Dec. 12 indictment alleging illegal work in the United States on behalf of the government of Turkey. Kian appeared in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, according to the Washington Post, while Alptekin remains overseas.

Flynn, President Donald Trump’s first national security adviser, and Kian were involved in a scheme to attempt to extradite Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who the Turkish government blamed for instigating a failed coup in 2016, back to Turkey, according to the indictment. Trump reportedly told the Turkish foreign minister recently that they were “working on” Gulen’s extradition.

Flynn is scheduled to appear for sentencing at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

Read the indictment below.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot