Buenos Aires ( Associated Press) — An Argentine prosecutor on Tuesday indicted the Iranian pilot and the rest of the crew of the Venezuelan company Emtrasur aircraft for their alleged links to Iranian-backed terrorism in Buenos Aires.
The measure adopted by prosecutor Cecilia Incardona formally means that pilot Ghasemi Gholmareza will henceforth be the subject of a criminal investigation to determine whether he traveled to the South American country for commercial purposes or for illegal activities.
The Boeing 747 model plane, which was carrying auto parts, has been in a hangar at Eziza International Airport – a suburb of the Argentine capital – since June 8, when immigration officials took back the passports of crew members on suggestion Were. foreign intelligence agencies.
Although the Argentine government confirmed that there were no international arrest warrants against any of the crew members – 14 Venezuelans and 5 Iranians – and no irregularities were found in their cargo, the plane raises doubts because it was owned by Mahan Air, an airline. He was of Iranian origin, who is blamed for terrorism and on whom economic sanctions imposed by the United States weigh.
In official records, the aircraft is owned by Venezuelan state airline Convisa, which has a cargo subsidiary, Emtrasure.
At the impulse of an opposition deputy of the Jewish community and civic organizations, the justice system launched an investigation, taking away the passports of crew members—who cannot leave the country—and confiscating personal belongings, such as mobile phones and computers, who are under computer specialization.
“With the progress of the investigative work carried out here, several traces emerged that imply the need to continue investigations about Ghasemi Gholamreza, all crew dependent on him, the aircraft and its cargo in accordance with the obligations of the State of Argentina. To prevent and punish acts of terrorism”, in accordance with the resolution of Prosecutor Incardona.
Any reference to international terrorism evokes particular sensitivity in Argentina, which was the target of two bloody attacks in the 1990s—one against the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires and the other against a Jewish community center—for which local justice ruled the Iranian regime. accused on
While Israel and the United States, always alert to Iran’s presence in Latin America, expressed that they are following the plane’s case with particular attention, Venezuela demands the plane’s return. In return, Tehran denies that it belongs to Mahan Air.
