ARGENTINA: Family members of victims of AMIA attack in Buenos Aires still wait for justice 20 years later

Record ID: 449151

  • Title: ARGENTINA: Family members of victims of AMIA attack in Buenos Aires still wait for justice 20 years later
  • Date: 17th July 2014
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SOFIA GUTERMAN, MOTHER OF BOMB VICTIM ANDREA GUTERMAN, SAYING: "Two days ago the 35th family member died. They all died from very horrible illnesses and were very sick and 20 years have passed [since the bombing] and I think the bomb continues exploding in each household because it left its mark. If I said that I have completely lost hope it wouldn't be true. I still have a little bit of hope, for this reason I continue fighting until the end, but truly, if I think about it clearly the hopes of justice died a long time ago."
  • Embargoed: 1st August 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Argentina
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA2I0KZCXNR7W2RT4Q3S0KFL6OT
  • Story Text: Family members who lost loved ones in a bomb that ripped through the AMIA Jewish Community Centre in Buenos Aires prepared on Thursday (July 17) to mark the 20th anniversary of the devastating attack.
    On the morning of July 18, 1994, a car bomb destroyed the AMIA headquarters, leaving 85 dead and 300 wounded. The deadliest terrorist attack ever in Argentina's history came just two years after the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires which killed 29 people.
    In 2006, an official Argentine government report prepared by Special Prosecutor Alberto Nisman identified Iranian and Hezbollah figures as responsible for the attack. INTERPOL issued red notices for the capture of six suspects, including Ahmed Vahidi, a former Iranian Defence Minister.
    Luis Czyzewski, whose daughter Paula was killed in the explosion, said the Argentine government must facilitate justice and provide answers.
    "The State must provide solutions and explanations and answers to people's questions, to the questions of families that have lost loved ones, and the questions from the Argentine people and these answers are not there," said Czyzewski.
    "Until the truth is known we are going to continue demanding the State to provide the answers that need to be given and we are only going to tell them that their work has been accomplished the day we know the truth," he added.
    In May an Argentine Federal court struck down an agreement between the South American country and Iran to jointly investigate the deadly bombing that local courts have blamed on Tehran.
    The ruling declared the agreement unconstitutional and ordered Argentina not to go ahead with it. The deal had been delayed anyway by Iranian reluctance to move forward in implementing it. The government said it will appeal the ruling to Argentina's Supreme Court.
    Sofia Guterman, who lost her daughter Andrea in the bombing, said that in the 20 years since the attack many people in her family had died without knowing the truth and that she was trying hard not to lose hope.
    "Two days ago the 35th family member died. They all died from very horrible illnesses and were very sick and 20 years have passed [since the bombing] and I think the bomb continues exploding in each household because it left its mark. If I said that I have completely lost hope it wouldn't be true. I still have a little bit of hope, for this reason I continue fighting until the end, but truly, if I think about it clearly the hopes of justice died a long time ago," said Guterman.
    Israel and world Jewish groups had denounced the "truth commission" deal with Iran, calling it a diplomatic win for Tehran that offered no benefit to Argentina. The deal would have let Iran review Argentina's investigation into the bombing.
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