Argentine Federal Judge Julián Ercolini on Tuesday ruled that the late prosecutor Alberto Nisman did not commit suicide but was murdered in his apartment, on January 18, 2015, on the night before he was due to submit incriminating evidence in Congress against then president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
Nisman headed an investigation into the Iranian bombing of the Jewish Center Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (Amia) in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people and wounded hundreds. Nisman had promised to present a Congressional committee with evidence that President Fernández and Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman were involved in a cover-up of the Islamic Republic role in the bombing, to protect a trade deal between Argentina and Iran.
Fernández, who nowadays serves as a Senator, was indicted for treason earlier this month.
Nisman was Jewish, but not religious, and dedicated ten years of his life to the investigation of the bombing. In September 2004 he was appointed Special Prosecutor in charge of the AMIA bombing investigation. In October 2006, Nisman formally accused the government of Iran of directing the AMIA bombing, which was carried out by Hezbollah.
In November 2007, Interpol published the names of six individuals officially accused for their role in the terrorist attack: Imad Fayez Moughnieh, Ali Fallahijan, Mohsen Rabbani, Ahmad Reza Asghari, Ahmad Vahidi and Mohsen Rezaee.
In 2013, Nisman attacked the memorandum of understanding President Kirchner had signed with Iran to investigate the bombing, and in 2015 he accused Kirchner, Foreign Minister Timerman and others of covering up Iran’s role. His report was based on wire tap reports of close allies of Kirchner, whom, he said, were “clearly acting on orders from her” and from former Iranian cultural attaché Mohsen Rabbani.
Nisman was found dead at his Buenos Aires flat on January 18, 2015, with a Bersa Thunder 22 handgun nearby, the night before he was due to testify in Congress –six days after publishing a 288 page report on the case, incriminating the president. His body was found inside the bathroom, blocking the door, and there were no signs of forced entry or robbery in the apartment. But a locksmith who had been inside Nisman’s apartment after his death stated that he had found a hidden entrance.