Argentine Judge Issues In Absentia Trial Order for Former Islamic Republic Officials

An Argentine judge has issued an order for in absentia trial of former Islamic Republic officials accused in the “AMIA” case.

“Daniel Rafecas,” an Argentine judge, issued on Thursday, June 26, corresponding to Tir 5, an order for in absentia trial of ten individuals accused in the deadly bombing and attack on the Jewish community center. He issued this action based on a law that was passed in the last month of Esfand. Under this law, long-term fugitive defendants can be tried in absentia.

The aforementioned terrorist attack, which occurred in 1994, was carried out using the explosion of a truck laden with explosives near the building of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires named AMIA, as a result of which 85 people were killed and approximately 300 others were injured.

The perpetrators of the attack on the Israeli-Argentine joint institution (AMIA) in “Buenos Aires” were identified as ten individuals, including former officials of the Iranian government and members of the armed Hezbollah group. “Ali Fallahian,” former Iranian intelligence minister, “Ali Akbar Velayati,” former foreign minister, “Mohsen Rezaei,” former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, “Hadi Soleimanpour,” former ambassador to Argentina, “Ahmad Reza Asghari,” former third secretary of the Islamic Republic’s embassy in Argentina, “Mohsen Rabbani,” former cultural attaché of the Islamic Republic, “Ahmad Vahidi,” former commander of the Quds Force, and some former embassy staff of the Islamic Republic are among the defendants in this case. “Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani,” former president of the Islamic Republic, and “Imad Mughniyeh,” commander of the special operations headquarters of the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah, were among the other defendants in this case who are no longer alive.

The Argentine judicial system declared the aforementioned defendants and other defendants with Lebanese and Colombian nationalities who were involved in the aforementioned attack as fugitives from the law since 2003. This judicial system has also stated that the aforementioned attack was carried out by Lebanon’s Hezbollah with the support of the Iranian government.

Despite substantial evidence and definitive conviction in Argentine courts, the Iranian government has consistently denied its involvement in the aforementioned attack and has refrained from extraditing the defendants to this court.