Former Iranian defense minister still on Interpol’s search list

A spokesperson at the European External Action Service (EEAS) confirms that Interpol’s warrant against a former Iranian defense minister, Ahmad Vahimi, is still valid. He is being sought for his alleged involvement in the bomb attack against a Jewish community centre in Argentina in 1994 which claimed 85 victims.

Vahimi was serving as the commander of a special unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guard known as the Quds Force when the attack occurred. He is one of five Iranians sought in the bombing. Iran denies that it was involved.

The recent nuclear agreement between the E3+3 powers (US, Russia, China, Britain, France, Germany and Iran, if implemented, will result in a dismantling of the Iranian nuclear programme in return for a lifting of the economic sanctions against the country.

The eventual lifting of the EU sanctions against Iran does also include the lifting of sanctions against Iranian individuals, such as Ahmad Vahimi.  The EU sanctions were imposed in 2008 in the context of the Iran Weapons of Mass Destructions (WMD) sanctions regime.

According to reports in media, EU is committed, under the terms of the agreement with Iran, to remove Vahimi from its sanction list.

“However, this has no implication whatsoever on the Interpol warrant against Mr. Ahmad Vahimi who continues to remain in force,” a spokesperson of EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy at the EEAS says to The Brussels Times. “The EU continues to support Argentina in its quest to fully clarify the attack of 1994 and to bring those responsible for the attack to justice.”

M.Apelblat
The Brussels Times


Copyright © 2024 The Brussels Times. All Rights Reserved.