MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Interpol: red notices on Iranian suspects in Buenos Aires bombing remain active

Foreign minister Timerman revealed the content of a letter from Interpol

Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman revealed that the Argentine government had received on Friday morning a letter from Interpol stressing that the memorandum of understanding signed between the Argentine and Iranian governments last month meant a “positive progress” for the investigation of the AMIA bombing.

The understanding established the creation of a five-member commission to investigate the deadly 1994 bombing of the Buenos Aires Jewish community centre.

The letter went on to assure that the existing red notices, arrest warrants, issued by Interpol on the six Iranians suspected of being involved in the attack will remain active and not be lifted. The list includes Iranian Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi.

Over Jewish community protests, Argentina’s congress last month approved the memorandum of understanding with Iran to jointly investigate the bombing of the AMIA centre, which killed 85 people and is believed to have been master minded and committed under orders from Tehran.

“Some organizations from the Jewish community said that the agreement with Iran is a step to the precipice,” Timerman said. “But this document from Interpol shows that the government is always working for the justice, the memory and the truth”.

The Interpol letter referred to “the validity of red notices” was signed by Joël Sellier from the Office of Juridical Affairs for the General Secretariat.

Also on Friday Argentine president Cristina Fernandez in her official twitter account referred to the AMIA agreement reached with Iran and said that “most important of all is to act in good faith, with responsibility, without opportunism and with commitment with Truth, Memory and Justice.”

Commenting on the letter, Cristina Fernandez added that she was “not surprised” that the Interpol considered the bilateral move “a positive progress.”

“I am not surprised. I am a lawyer but this is not about who is right. The most important thing is always to act in good faith, with responsibility, with no opportunism and with commitment with Truth, Memory and Justice,” the president wrote and explained her position was the same she held as a member of the Congress Bicameral Commission set to investigate the AMIA attack.

“Of course you can always make a mistake. In fact, those who believed in the ex judge (Juan José) Galeano and other officials were wrong. They did it in absolutely good faith. Maybe not all of them but, without a doubt the victims’ families did” act in good faith” she insisted.

Meanwhile the Jewish community two days ahead of the 21st anniversary of the attack against the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, commemorated the victims of the 1992 tragedy.

On March 17th 1992, 29 people were killed and more than 200 resulted injured following a terrorist attack at the building of the embassy of Israel in Argentina.

To pay tribute to the victims, their families gathered at the intersections of the streets where once stood the embassy as the traditional siren wail was heard again. The Jewish youth are scheduled for another commemorative ceremony on Saturday also at the former location of the Israeli diplomatic headquarters in the city.