Argentina charges suspects in AMIA bombing case — Asharq Al-Awsat
In Argentina, Judge Daniel Rafecas has formally charged seven Iranian citizens and a Lebanese citizen in the case of the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Asharq Al-Awsat reports. The attack on July 18 that year killed 85 people and injured another 300.
Possible trial in absentia
The judge’s decision was another step toward a possible trial in absentia. According to the publication, no one has yet been detained in the bombing case.
At the time of the attack, the seven defendants held senior positions in the Iranian state, while the Lebanese citizen was a member of Hezbollah. In a statement, Rafecas said that, in his version, the decision to carry out the attack was made by the top leadership of the Iranian regime in August 1993, and its execution was entrusted to Hezbollah.
Iran denies involvement in the attack. At the same time, Argentina and Israel have long held Tehran responsible for it.
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Two other individuals were removed from the case due to insufficient evidence. The defendants may appeal the decision, and additional procedural steps are required before a possible trial can begin, Rafecas told AFP.
Possible link to the Israeli Embassy case
Argentine President Javier Milei welcomed the court’s decision on social network X. Last year, Argentine courts, with the support of Milei’s administration, allowed the possibility of holding a trial in absentia.
The court decision also raised before Argentina’s Supreme Court the issue of a possible merger of this case with the investigation into the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires. Twenty-nine people were killed then; the decision points to a possible link between the two attacks due to Hezbollah’s alleged involvement.
