Cristina Fernandez Demands Justice in AMIA Case

Published 1 March 2015, Source

President Cristina Fernandez addresses Congress. | Photo: Telam

In her final speech before Congress Sunday, President Cristina Fernandez demanded justice for the victims of the AMIA case.

“The AMIA (Jewish center) did not explode during our government and 21 years ago, the victims and their relatives have been demanding justice,” she said.

The AMIA Jewish center was bombed in 1994 and killed 85 people. No people have been found responsible or tried in court over the incident.

President Fernandez called upon the Argentine justice system to take steps towards solving the case and requested the government of Israel to allow former Ambassador Itzhak Aviran (1993-2000) to testify and clarify recent remarks surrounding the AMIA bombing.

Last week Aviran told an Israeli media outlet that Israel had already killed the terrorists behind the attack. Fernandez criticized the way in which the case had been handled in recent months.

“It's clearer and more obvious than ever that AMIA is part of a national and international political chessboard,” she said.

The president also expressed her doubts regarding the accusations made by late attorney Alberto Nisman and criticized the handling of the case.

“Which Nisman should I believe in? The one who accused me without evidence or the one who praised my stand in the United Nations, the one who praises my speeches?” she asked.

Last week, Judge Daniel Rafecas ruled out the accusations on Nisman's report against President Fernandez, finding no evidence to support them.

Furthermore, the judge revealed Nisman kept two different drafts of his report locked in a safe box. In one of them, dated January 2015, he accused government officials of a high level cover-up operation — involving the president — to help several Iranian suspects.

In the other earlier version of the report, dated December 2014, the late attorney recognized the government's efforts to achieve justice and praised President Fernandez's speeches and international actions to solve the case.

“What happened between the day Nisman left Argentina on vacations (December 2014) and his accusation against this president and the Foreign Minister, which means, against Argentina?” she asked.