New York, NY, July 15, 2013 … On the 19th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the AMIA-DAIA building in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in which 85 people were killed and hundreds more wounded, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) expressed solidarity with the Jewish community of Argentina and reiterated its call for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
Barry Curtiss-Lusher, ADL National Chair and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director issued the following statement:
We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in Argentina and remember the 85 lives lost 19 years ago. Every year since then, we have called for the perpetrators of this heinous act to be expeditiously brought to justice. Despite the strong evidence linking Iran to the attack and Interpol submissions providing warrants seeking out the attackers, they continue to deny their culpability and make a mockery of the AMIA case by circumventing the Argentine justice system.
We are deeply disturbed by Argentina’s apparent willingness to collaborate with the Iranian regime’s nearly two decade effort to evade being brought to justice under the Argentine criminal justice system. The recent memorandum of understanding between the two countries is another roadblock to achieving justice long denied to the victims, their families and to the people of Argentina. This collaboration only undermines efforts to arrest and prosecute those responsible under Argentine law and adds to the suffering and pain of the survivors and families.
The League expressed solidarity with the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina, the Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas and the entire Argentinean Jewish community in remembering those who were killed and wounded on that tragic day, and said it would continue to raise this issue at the highest levels in meetings with the U.S. government and international leaders until justice is served.