President Evo Morales of Bolivia has apologized to the head of Argentina’s Jewish community for inviting, and meeting with, Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi, who is wanted in connection with the 1994 terrorist attack against the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires. Donzis, president of the Jewish umbrella body DAIA, said that Morales had called his meeting with Vahidi “a mistake”. Argentina has accused Vahidi of planning the July 1994 attack on the Jewish center in Buenos Aires, in which 85 people were killed and hundreds wounded. The Argentine Justice Department has called on the international community to detain Vahidi, who had an Interpol Red issued against him in 2007.
Donzis met with Morales in Buenos Aires to lodge a protest on behalf of the Argentinean Jewish community and the victims of the AMIA attack. Six Bolivian citizens who were working at the Jewish center building were also killed in the attack. "I have to honestly say that this was a mistake and I express my deep and sincere apologies," Morales said at their meeting, according to Donzis. He described his meeting with the Bolivian leader as "very positive."
Online petition for justice in AMIA case launched
Meanwhile, an online campaign has been launched by the Latin American Jewish Congress calling for the Argentinean government to bring the masterminds of AMIA attack to justice. The petition is set to be delivered to Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez on the anniversary of the attack, on 18 July. "We call upon the Argentinean government and judicial system to continue the investigation to bring those responsible to justice and end impunity," reads the petition. The global campaign is run in eight different languages, including Russian and Chinese (visit the campaign website here).
Argentinean prosecutor Alberto Nisman has accused Iran of masterminding the AMIA attack and requested that Vahidi be detained in Bolivia, which borders Argentina. However, the Iranian defense minister left Bolivia for Iran on 31 May.
