Calls for official to resign amid 1994 Jewish center bombing probe in Argentina

By Bala Chambers

BUENOS AIRES (AA) - Calls were made on Monday for the resignation of one official and prosecution of another official, one week after Argentina recognized "impunity" concerning investigations into the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center.

After last week's hearings between the Argentine state and Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) held in Montevideo, Uruguay, lawyer Alejandro Rua, former head of the Special Investigations Unit looking into the AMIA attack has called for Interim Attorney General Eduardo Casal to resign and for prosecutor Sebastian Basso to face justice.

According to local news agency Telam, Rua has called for an "urgent review" into the special prosecutorial unit investigating the attack on the AMIA Jewish center and in a written brief to Casal, he described alleged complaints about his poor performance while carrying out his duties, as he called for his resignation.

Rua also pushed for Basso to face court proceedings regarding his alleged "bad performance" in the line of duty.

Last week, Natalia D’Alessandro, coordinator of the AMIA Special Investigation Unit, part of Argentina's Justice and Human Rights Ministry told the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) that Argentina is "responsible for not having prevented the attack" and for the ongoing "impunity" concerning the country's worst terrorist attack.

In 1994, 85 died and more than 300 were injured in the terrorist attack that struck the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires - home to Argentina's biggest Jewish community.

D’Alessandro recognized Argentina's responsibility concerning alleged human rights violations of the victims and their families, arguing the state did not take "protection measures despite the risk"

Since the bombing 28 years ago, nobody has faced prosecution.

Last week victims were supported by several civil associations as they brought their claims to the IACHR during the court's 153rd session in Uruguay's capital, insisting Argentina did not prevent the attack and has not effectively investigated events.

Following the bombing, victims alleged irregularities about the investigations and in a 2019 trial, lenient sentences were given to officials found allegedly guilty of cover-ups.

After Argentina assumed its responsibility, the IACHR can offer different reparative measures from compensation to directives regarding the case in order to push for answers and to establish who carried out the attack.