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06:46 GMT
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 3 (KUNA) -- Iran late Friday rejected as "baseless and
unfounded" Argentina's accusation last week that Iranian nationals were
involved in the bombing of a Jewish Centre in the capital Buenos Aires in
1994, in which 85 Jews were killed.
In a letter to the General Assembly President Ali Treki of Libya, Iranian
UN envoy Mohammad Khazaee annexed his delegation's reply to Argentina's
President Cristina Fernadez de Kirchner's speech in the General Assembly on
September 23.
In that speech, de Kirchner reiterated her country's request for the
extradition of several Iranian officials who were sought by Argentina -- "not
to be sentenced, but to be investigated and tried, enjoying all the freedoms
and guarantees granted by democracy."
She found it outrageous that Ahmad Vahidi, one of the Iranian officials
whose extradition had been requested, was appointed last month as Iran's
defense minister.
"While, after 15 years from the reprehensible bombings, there is still no
prospect of justice to bereaved families, the Argentinean authorities continue
to deflect their failure to bring the real criminals to justice by leveling
baseless accusations against Iranian citizens and interfering in its internal
affairs," the Iranian letter said.
Iran, the letter went on to say, "deplores this irresponsible position and
categorically rejects those claims as totally baseless and unsubstantiated and
interfering in its internal affairs.
"Iran sympathizes with all victims of terrorism, including those innocent
people killed in the Jewish Centre in Buenos Aires in 1994," the letter added.
"This case, for sure is an open wound for Argentina and it would not heal
until and unless the Argentinean judicial and political authorities should
shoulder their responsibilities to truly pursue justice and put an end to the
wrong path they have taken by unfoundedly accusing those who were absolutely
unrelated to the criminal act" the letter concluded.
The Iranian letter came one day after Carlos Menem, the former president of
Argentina, has been charged with investigation irregularities and of
obstructing an inquiry into that bombing.
Menem, who was Argentina's President from 1989 to 1999, was accused of
covering up the possible involvement of a Syrian-Argentinean businessman in
the bombing. (end)
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