Iran claims it negotiated Interpol red alerts with Argentina

The Iranian Foreign Ministry claims it negotiated with Argentina over the lifting of the Interpol red alerts that had been placed on five men accused of involvement in the 1994 AMIA bombing, an Iranian Foreign Ministry letter indicated.

Both countries “requested that Interpol put an end to the obligations of that institution in relation to the AMIA case”, the letter reads, referring vaguely to the Interpol red alerts that kept the five Iranians, some of which have been high-ranking officials in the Iranian regime, from travelling abroad because of risk of arrest.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran, in good faith and with the aim of helping to clarify the truth surrounding the bombing of the AMIA headquarters, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Argentine Republic… after which and in line with the political will of each government our respective legal and legislative bodies checked and signed”, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said in a letter dated December 4, 2017 and to which La Nación had access.

A series of claims and counterclaims, many of which have been heard before, began again on Friday when federal judge Claudio Bonadio issued arrest warrants for former officials of the Cristina Férnadez de Kirchner government whom he accuses of treason because of alleged collusion with Iran.

Former Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman, who has house arrest due to health problems, questioned the legitimacy of Iran's claims via his lawyer Graciela Peñafort who said the Islamic state “had decided unilaterally that the red alerts were to be lifted” and that Argentina had expressed “with total clarity that the agreement (referring to the 2013 MOI) did not affect the red alerts”.

Former General Secretary of Interpol Ronald Noble reiterated the same via Twitter on Tuesday describing Bonadio's accusations as “false” and “incomplete” and taking aim at the judge for not having contacted him for contribution to the case.

Sources told Perfil the letter was received by Argentina's Foreign Minister Jorge Fraurie and lodged with the court investigating the case against Fernández de Kirchner, Timerman and other former officials and allies of her government.