After over three decades since the bombings in Buenos Aires that targeted both the Israeli embassy and a Jewish community center, an Argentine court made a significant announcement on Thursday.
In a notable ruling, obtained by The Associated Press, Argentina’s Highest Criminal Court, the Court of Cassation, disclosed a breakthrough in the ongoing pursuit of justice for the 1994 bombing of the Jewish community center.
According to reports from International media, the court squarely placed the responsibility for these attacks on Iran, designating it as a “terrorist state”.
It concluded that Iran orchestrated the attack, while Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group executed the plans.
Carlos Mahiques, one of the judges involved in the ruling, elucidated Hezbollah’s role in executing the operation.
He suggested that Hezbollah attacked in response to a governmental directive, indicating Iran’s involvement.
This bombing, which razed the community center, claimed 85 lives, injured 300, and profoundly impacted Latin America’s largest Jewish community.
The court asserted that the attack was a reprisal for Argentina’s withdrawal from a nuclear cooperation agreement with Tehran.
Citing Iran’s alleged “political and strategic” involvement in the bombing, the Argentine court’s ruling opens avenues for victims’ families to pursue legal action against the Islamic Republic.
Despite Interpol warrants, Iran has not extradited its citizens convicted in Argentina over the past three decades.
Regarding the 1992 attack on the Israeli embassy, the court’s verdict highlighted Iran’s direction.
It also implicated Lebanon’s Hezbollah in the assault on the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association (AMIA) center, considering it the deadliest in Argentina’s history, and characterized it as a “crime against humanity.”
Argentina boasts the largest Jewish community in Latin America, numbering around 300,00 individuals.
Additionally, the country hosts immigrant communities from the Middle East, particularly Syria and Lebanon.
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