BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (JTA) — Argentine Special Prosecutor Alberto Nisman asked a federal judge to declare unconstitutional his country’s memorandum with Iran to jointly investigate the deadly 1994 AMIA Jewish center bombing.
Nisman, who has been investigating the bombing, filed the challenge on Wednesday, saying the memorandum of understanding with Iran “constitutes a wrongful interference of the Executive Branch.” He also said it “involves serious violations of rights and civil liberties recognized by the National Constitution.”
Iran has been implicated in the Buenos Aires bombing, which killed 85 and injured hundreds, but no one has ever been brought to justice.
Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman and his Iranian counterpart signed the memorandum in January. It was ratified by the ruling majority in Argentina’s national parliament in February and confirmed by the Iranian government in May. Both governments must agree on the details and procedures of a Truth Commission made up of independent legal experts, from neither Argentina nor Iran, who will analyze the evidence gathered on the AMIA attack and issue a report.
Nisman said in his challenge that the agreement is a “subjugation and abuse of the rights and guarantees recognized by the Constitution and international treaties of constitutional significance.”
Israel, the United States and international Jewish groups have objected to the bilateral pact.
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