Argentina president: prosecutor’s death not a suicide News
Argentina president: prosecutor’s death not a suicide

[JURIST] Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner on Thursday said that she is “sure” [Telam report] that the death of prosecutor Albert Nisman was not a suicide as initially indicated [JURIST report]. Nisman had been appointed to lead the investigation of the 1994 bombing of the Argentinian Jewish Mutual Association, a terrorist attack, known as the worst in the nation’s history, leaving 85 dead and injuring 300 others. Last week he accused Kirchner of being involved [JURIST report] in covering up Iran’s involvement in the terrorist attack. Nisman was found dead on Sunday with a single bullet wound in his head, the day before he was scheduled to testify about the accusation. Argentine authorities said earlier this week that they would fully investigate Nisman’s death. Vivian Fein, the prosecutor investigating it, said that his death was suspicious [Buenos Aires Herald report] and while discussion of suicide was not off the table, she did not “rule out instigation [to suicide].”

In his accusation, Nisman claimed that the current administration negotiated with the Iranian government to cover up Iran’s involvement in exchange for oil to ease Argentina’s energy deficit. An appeals court in Argentina ruled in May that a controversial agreement between Argentina and Iran to investigate the 1994 bombing was unconstitutional [JURIST report]. The two nations signed the agreement [JURIST report] in January 2013, which permitted Argentine authorities to question the Iranian suspects under Interpol arrest warrants, but only in Tehran. The agreement also angered Jewish groups who said that the deal empowered Iran without bringing any suspects to justice. No one has been convicted in connection with the bombing.