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Prosecutor Who Accused Argentina of Covering Up Jewish Center Bombing Found Dead

Alberto Nisman was to present his evidence against the government today

by
Yair Rosenberg
January 19, 2015
A man walks over the rubble left after a bomb exploded at the Argentinian Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA in Spanish) in Buenos Aires, 18 July 1994. (AFP/Getty Images)
A man walks over the rubble left after a bomb exploded at the Argentinian Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA in Spanish) in Buenos Aires, 18 July 1994. (AFP/Getty Images)

Late last night, Argentinian prosecutor Alberto Nisman was found dead in his home from a gunshot wound to the head. For over a decade, he had spearheaded the investigation of the 1994 bombing of a Jewish Center in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 and injured over 200. Last week, he made headlines by filing a 300-page complaint against top Argentinian officials, including President Cristina Kirchner, accusing them of attempting to cover up Iran’s involvement in the attack in exchange for oil. (In 2006, Nisman and another prosecutor had formally accused the Iranian government of masterminding the bombing, and Hezbollah of executing it.) Nisman was set to testify before Argentina’s National Congress today with the evidence for his charges, including wiretaps.

No official confirmation of the cause of death has been given. Some initial reports, citing police sources, have deemed it a suicide, while others have questioned such a claim given the suspicious timing. Just last week, Nisman passionately made his case against the government on Argentinian TV, offering little sign that he intended to give up his crusade and kill himself just three days later. He had also told reporters that the investigation “might kill him,” and that he expected to come under intense personal attack due to his allegations.

Argentinian President Kirchner’s cabinet chief had labeled Nisman’s accusations “outrageous, illogical, and irrational,” and according to the Wall Street Journal, cast them as “part of a broader international conspiracy against Argentina involving multimedia groups, judges, prosecutors and both local and foreign intelligence services.”

You can watch Nisman lay out his charges against the Argentinian government last week below (in Spanish):

Yair Rosenberg is a senior writer at Tablet. Subscribe to his newsletter, listen to his music, and follow him on Twitter and Facebook.