Argentina will continue to track down the terrorists responsible for bombing the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires in 1994, prosecutor Sebastian Basso assured this week, after former Quds Force commander Ahmad Vahidi, one of the alleged perpetrators of the attack, was named Iran's next interior minister.
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Vahidi has been wanted by the International Criminal Police Organization – commonly known as Interpol – since 2007 and an extradition order has been issued against him by Argentina.
Vahidi's appointment drew outrage in Argentina, with its foreign ministry describing the move as "an insult to the justice system and the victims."
"We are doing our utmost to bring the perpetrators to justice in Argentina," Basso told Israel Hayom. "But there is not much we can do outside the borders of the state except ask the executive authority to move forward on the matter."
"The case is open, and the extradition orders are in force, and the prosecution is more interested in this person [Vahidi] standing trial in Argentina. We continue to investigate the case. We are working, among other things, to identify all those who were involved in carrying out the attack. We are aware, however, that after 27 years, it is a rather difficult task."
Basso has been in charge of extradition efforts since 2015, after replacing his predecessor Alberto Nisman, who was assassinated in January that year, four days after accusing then-president Cristina Kirchner (now vice president of Argentina) of manipulating the investigation in favor of the Iranians, as well as of terrorism and treason.
"When Nisman submitted documents in 2016 requesting the extradition of the Iranians involved, he made it clear that the regime in Iran has no constitution or democracy. The appointment does not surprise me, but what makes me sad is that we cannot bring Vahidi to Argentina."
The attack on the Jewish community center occurred on July 18, 1994. A suicide bomber drove a vehicle loaded with 275 kilograms of explosives into the building. The attack claimed the lives of 85 people and injured hundreds more. The bombing is Argentina's deadliest terrorist attack to date.
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