Timerman spoke about the agreement with Iran in the Congress

Argentina, 13 de febrero de 2013

During his presentation to the committee of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Constitutional Affairs of the Senate, the Foreign Minister Hector Timerman said today that the controversial memorandum of understanding signed by the government with Iran will allow “the accused” of the AMIA bombing o be interrogated by the trial judge Rodolfo Canicoba Corral.

The head of the AMIA, Guillermo Borger and the official Julio Schlosser also warned that the agreement does not have “secret clauses or illegitimate interests.” “Gentlemen legislators, fantasize no more. There are no secret clauses or illegitimate interests, as I will prove it to you “he said.

After making a brief historical review of the case of the AMIA bombing, Timernan warned that the agreement with the Iranian government, which was rejected by the Jewish community, allows “the cause to leave the current paralysis”.

“The signing of the memorandum is the result of seeking justice for the victims of the attack. For the first time there is a commitment from Iran, which will place the accused before the judge so that the cause can leave the current paralysis”, said the head of the Palacio de San Martín, who read a text before the senators.

A senior Iranian official yesterday categorically ruled out the chance of being interrogated by the AMIA bombing any. However, Timerman insisted that the agreement will allow those accused of the attack on the Jewish center, which killed 85 people, to be questioned by the trial judge. “The memorandum will make the trial progress and unlock the cause” he said.

The official said that Tehran “recognizes the competence of the Argentine judges, after years of refusing to do so.”

Amid the review of the case from 1994 to the present, the Chancellor said that there was already a third country involved in the case. It was in 2003, when Britain seized the former Iranian ambassador to Argentina, Hadi Soleimanpour, suspect for his alleged involvement in the case, and released him for “lack of evidence”.

“Argentina in the AMIA was alone. At that time everyone thought that there would never be truth and justice for the cause, “he said.

During his speech, Timerman also pointed against the former head of the SIDE, Hugo Anzorreguy, former AMIA trial judge Juan Jose Galeano, and former leader of the Jewish community, Ruben Beraja, suspected of concealment in the case.