Argentina Prosecutor Appeals Judge's Decision to Dismiss Nisman Kirchner Indictment

BUENOS AIRES -- Argentina Prosecutor Gerardo Pollicita appealed a judge's decision to dismiss legal charges against President Cristina Kirchner and others.

The charges relate to allegedly covering up Iran’s role in a 1994 terrorist attack on a Jewish center in Argentina.

They charges were originally developed by late prosecutor Alberto Nisman and presented by Pollicita after Nisman's death.

Last week federal judge Daniel Rafecas ruled that the evidence presented was not sufficient to proceed with the case.

Pollicita's appeal of this decision argued that it prematurely discarded the prosecution's hypothesis and that such serious charges should be investigated more thoroughly.

The appeal, filed on the deadline to do so, keeps some degree of pressure on President Kirchner, while the government continues to refute the allegations, publishing a full-page newspaper ad questioning whether Nisman intended to destabilize the government and saying that Rafecas was correct to dismiss the charges. 

Iran: Punishment "blinding a man " An eye for an eye ?

International rights group Amnesty International has condemned the Iranian regime on Friday for the "unspeakably cruel" blinding of a man on the grounds of retribution.

The man was forcibly blinded in his left eye on Tuesday based on the inhumane law of retribution (qisas) at a prison in Karaj, west of Tehran, Amnesty said.

The man had been convicted of throwing acid in another man's face in 2009, leading to a 10-year prison sentence, an order to pay blood money to the victim and the act of retribution.

Amnesty International said in a statement: "Punishing someone by deliberately blinding them is an unspeakably cruel and shocking act."

"This punishment exposes the utter barbarity of Iran's justice system and underlines the Iranian authorities' shocking disregard for basic humanity."

The punishment of another male convict, who was scheduled to be blinded and made deaf in a similar act of retribution on Tuesday has been postponed until next month, Amnesty said.

knife attack on US ambassador in Seoul (VIDEO)

Argentine prosecutor’s Ex-wife: Alberto Nisman was murdered

The ex-wife of a top prosecutor who died mysteriously in January has said “Nisman didn’t suffer an accident” “Nisman didn’t kill himself. Nisman was murdered.”

Sandra Arroyo Salgado, a federal judge who had once been married to the late prosecutor Alberto Nisman, said at a Thursday news conference that a report by top forensic specialists asserts he was victim of a homicide.

Sandra Arroyo Salgado, a federal judge who had once been married to the late prosecutor Alberto Nisman, said that investigators she hired had amassed evidence that points to murder.

According to the investigation, Mr. Nisman’s body was moved after he was shot.

Judge Arroyo Salgado, who had two children with Mr. Nisman and is a powerful judge in her own right, put together some of Argentina’s top crime-scene investigators to conduct a parallel investigation to the official government probe of her former husband’s death.

She was allowed to do so under Argentine law as the mother of the victim’s children.

According to the investigations by Prosecutor Nisman, the plan to blow up the Jewish center in Buenos Aires was discussed in a meeting of Iranian regime’s Supreme National Security Council on 14 August 1993 by Khamenei (the current supreme leader), Hashemi Rafsanjani (then President), Ali Akbar Velayati (then Foreign Minister), and Ali Fallahian (Minister of Intelligence). Once the decision for the bombing was finalized, Khamenei tasked the intelligence ministry and the revolutionary guards’ Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to carry out the bombing.

At that time, Ahmad Vahidi was the Commander of the Qods Force and Mohsen Rezaii was the Commander of IRGC. Nisman’s investigation reveals that Mullah Mohsen Rabbani, the lead in regime’s terrorism in Latin America who was working there under the cover of regime’s cultural attaché at mullahs’ embassy in Buenos Aires, along with another agent from the ministry of intelligence called Ahmad Reza Asghari working under the cover of embassy’s Third Secretary, and Imad Moghnia, the military commander of Hezbollah, were involved in implementing this plan.

On 25 October 2006, the Argentinean prosecutor issued international arrest warrants for the above individuals except for Khamenei. Nisman worked hard for the trial of these individuals in absentia.

Iran news in brief, 5 March 2015

Syria: Civilians pay heavy price amid fierce fighting for Aleppo

Saudi Foreign Minister: Iran is taking over Iraq

In a strongly worded statement, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal told reporters during a joint conference with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Riyadh that “Iran is taking over Iraq, Al-Arabiya reported.

John Kerry said the U.S. was keeping an eye on the Iranian regime’s 'destabilizing' acts even as he tries to reach a deal on Tehran's nuclear program.

He told reporters: “Even as we engage in these discussions with Iran around this program, we will not take our eye off Iran's destabilizing actions” in the region”.

U.S. Secretary of state said Iran is still considered a state-sponsor of terrorism, adding that his country was aware of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani’s presence and activity in Iraq.