NYC charges Ahmadinejad Lackey with Second Degree Assault

The Criminal Court of the City of New York has charged Hossein Gholamzadeh Mahabadi (who works in Iran's UN mission office in New York City) with second degree assault for attacking and injuring a young woman during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's September 2009 trip to New York. Ahmadinejad was in the United States for the United Nations General Assembly's annual meeting.

The incident occured when Mahabadi -- who was part of Ahmadinejad's entourage -- struck the young woman for taking pictures outside of the hotel where Ahmadinejad was staying, causing her bleeding and bodily injuries. As the woman (who has chosen to stay anonymous) states, "I held the camera in front of my face to take the picture, but all of a sudden I felt something hard hit my face and I fell down."

Assault in the Second Degree, as defined by New York Penal Law §120.05, is a felony offense and punishable by up to seven years in state prison.