Atlanta driver survives savage ambush after posting criticism of Iranian regime
Atlanta driver cut 26 times in ambush
Masked men ambushed a driver on Northside Parkway and cut him 26 times because of his political beliefs, according to a police report.
ATLNATA - An Uber driver was beaten and threatened with his life during a savage ambush in Northwest Atlanta as he drove home from work.
Cyrus Khorasani believes he was targeted because of his outspoken political activism against the Iranian regime.
Northwest Atlanta attack
What we know:
Khorasani was driving home from work on Northside Parkway on May 24 when two masked men on a motorcycle pulled alongside his car. The men claimed something was wrong behind his vehicle. Khorasani stopped to check.
When he opened his door, the men dragged him out of his vehicle and unleashed a savage beating, punching, kicking and cutting him. A third man struck Khorasani with the butt of a knife.
The attackers placed a knife to Khorasani's throat and cut him 26 times across his arms, legs and upper torso. During the assault, the men told Khorasani they wanted to punish him and had warned him to remain silent.
Khorasani, who fled Iran with his family 14 years ago, believes the violence stems from a March Instagram post featuring the former Shah. He stated he began receiving threats shortly after publishing the post against allies of the Iranian leadership.
According to the police report, Khorasani informed an officer that the attackers recovered a GPS tracker from underneath his vehicle. Khorasani says he reported the entire incident to the FBI.
Federal agency response
What we don't know:
The FBI told FOX 5 it cannot confirm if it is investigating this case. A spokesman for the agency said "FBI policy prohibits us, except in rare circumstances authorized by DOJ, from disclosing if a person is or is not a subject of an FBI investigation."
What you can do:
Anyone with information regarding the assault is urged to contact the Atlanta Police Department.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from an Atlanta Police Department report, broadcast details from FOX 5reporter Christopher King, and verbatim on-camera interviews with victim Cyrus Khorasani and his family member Golnosh.