Argentina court reopens probe into cover-up on 1994 Jewish center attack - Associated Press and Israel Hayom Staff

by Associated Press and Israel Hayom Staff

Tribunal grants motion by a coalition of Jewish associations to hold a fresh review of 1994 Buenos Aires bombing that killed 85 people • Argentine former President Cristina Fernandez to be investigated for covering up alleged Iranian involvement.

Argentine former President Cristina Fernandez | Photo credit: Reuters

An Argentine court ordered a renewed investigation on Thursday into a prosecutor's accusation that former President Cristina Fernandez covered up the alleged involvement of Iranians in the 1994 attack on a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.

The bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association center killed 85 people and wounded hundreds. Iran has denied any connection with the attack and declined to turn over suspects in the case.

Argentina's official Center of Judicial Information said the country's top criminal tribunal had accepted a motion by a coalition of Jewish associations to re-examine the charge made by prosecutor Alberto Nisman on Jan. 14, 2015, against Fernandez, Foreign Minister Hector Timerman and other officials in her government.

"The evidence does not allow for a clear dismissal of the possible commission of illicit acts," the center said in a statement. "The accusations must be weighed in advance of dismissal."

Nisman alleged Fernandez reached a secret deal with Iran's government to hide the role of several Iranian officials suspected in the bombing.

He was found dead with a gunshot to the head four days later. His death was initially ruled a suicide, but an official investigating the case said early this year that the evidence pointed to homicide. 

Fernandez, president from 2007 to 2015, has denied wrongdoing, and she ridiculed the charge Thursday.

"I am now accused of covering up the AMIA attack that took place ... 22 and a half years ago! The only thing they have failed to do is to accuse me of Kennedy's death," she tweeted.

Fernandez blamed the accusation on what she said is the bias of judges following the orders of her conservative successor, President Mauricio Macri, who took office last December.

Ariel Cohen Sabban, president of the Jewish coalition, praised the court's decision.

"A country that wants to reach justice is a country that must investigate, and if Nisman's accusation must be dismissed, we will accept it. But what we cannot do is dismiss an allegation with so much political potential without at least it being investigated," he told The Associated Press.

Associated Press and Israel Hayom Staff

Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=39163&hp=1

Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter

Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.