IRAN’S FORMER AMBASSADOR IN ARGENTINE ARRESTED IN BRITAIN

LONDON 22 Aug. (IPS) Iran on Friday condemned the arrest, by the British Police, of Mr. Hadi Soleymanpour, a former Iranian ambassador in Buenos Aires, who was under an international warrant delivered by Argentina Judge Juan Jose Galeano.

"The measure had been politically motivated and has been carried
out under the influence of the Zionists and is meant to serve the interests of the Zionist regime", Mr. Hamid Asefi, the Iraqi-born official spokesman of the Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

According to the British, Mr. Soleymanpour, who is accused of participation in the 1994 explosion of the Jewish community centre AMIA in Buenos Aires, killing at least 89 people and wounding some 300, was arrested Thursday evening in his flat at Durham, in north England, where he is studying since last year.

Judge Galeano had issues an international warrant last week against eight Iranians, including Mr. Soleymanpour, then Ambassador to Argentina, Hojjatoleslam Ali Fallahian, the then Intelligence Minister, Hojjatoleslam Mohsen Rabbani, Iran’s Cultural attaché at the time of the explosion and five others working at the Iranian embassy in the Argentinean capital.

Mr. Soleymanpour is the first of the group to be arrested.

The charges angered the Islamic Republic of Iran and clouded Tehran-Buenos Aires relations, as the Iranian Foreign Affairs Ministry rejected vehemently the warrant as "null and void", objecting that "Given the political nature of the decision, these arrest warrants have no judicial value and are thus null and void"...

The Argentinean judicial system "is only implementing Israel's instructions with a political view" of the case, said Mr. Asefi.

"Since the beginning, the Islamic Republic has collaborated in a constructive manner with the concerned Argentine services, but it has been clear since the start that the Argentine judicial system did not care about judicial considerations", he added.

Argentine President Nestor Krishner had ordered Judge Galeano to reopen the AMIA file that had been shelved by Carlos Menem, a former Argentine president accused of having received a 10 million dollar bribe from Tehran for closing the case.

Both Mr. Menem and Iranian authorities denied the charges.

It is not known why Mr. Soleymanpour had stayed in Britain after being sought by the Interpol, acting on Judge Galeano’s request.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman further stressed that Tehran will carry out all required measures in order to secure the release of Mr. Soleymanpour.
"We will take necessary measures through any means deemed necessary and in this connection we will hold talks with the British officials, asking them to provide necessary explanations", said Asefi.

A court in London where Mr. Soleymanpour appeared on Friday decided to keep him in prison, despite defence’s efforts to have him freed on bail.

However, Iranian political analysts said in case the court decides to extradite the diplomat to Buenos Aires, Tehran’s relations with both Britain and Argentina would badly suffer. ENDS IRAN ARGENTINE EXPLOSION 23803