The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has submitted an extradition request to Russian authorities, through the Argentine Embassy in Moscow, to hold former Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati in preventive custody. This request was issued by Federal Court in Criminal and Correctional Matters No. 6, with a view to prosecuting him in Argentina for the AMIA bombing in 1994 which left 85 dead and hundreds injured.
Russian authorities are expected to answer the Argentine request, which was submitted in accordance with the Treaty on Extradition in force between both countries. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in contact with the Russian Embassy in Buenos Aires.
Velayati is working in Russia as Special Assistant to the Iranian President and, knowing that he will travel to Beijing on 13 July, the same Court issued another request which will be submitted in the next few hours to Chinese authorities, through the Argentine Embassy in China.