Iran approves agreement with Argentina to investigate AMIA attack

TEHRAN,May 22(MNA) – Iran has approved a memorandum of understanding with Argentina on forming a truth commission to investigate the bombing of the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA) building in Buenos Aires in 1994 in which 85 people were killed, AFP quoted an Iranian diplomat as saying on Monday. Iran’s charge d’affaires in Buenos Aires, Ali Pakdaman, said the memorandum was approved on Sunday by the Iranian government without being submitted to the parliament. Iran and Argentina reached in January on how to deal with the attack in which Argentine court authorities have accused a number of Iranians of involvement. Iran has denied any link to the bombing. The agreement stipulates that a commission made up of five foreign legal experts - will outline plans for Argentine judicial officials to travel to Tehran to question Iranians accused of having links to the AMIA attack. Pakdaman said the Iranian government did not require approval from the parliament for the memorandum of understanding because the agreement said only that it needed to be ratified by the “appropriate bodies.” He added that Argentine President Cristina Kirchner “sent it to the Congress because she thought there was a consensus and that the executive should not carry all the weight of the agreement.” “For us, in Iran, the memorandum is in effect and its approval is in accordance with point six of the text.” The pact signed with Tehran has been strenuously criticized by Israel and Jewish communities who fear it could end up weakening the case against Iran. They also see it as a diplomatic victory for Iran.