Iran's former envoy to Argentina has returned home after emerging from a lengthy legal ordeal in Britain sparked by an extradition request from Buenos Aires, where he is accused of involvement in a deadly 1994 bombing of a Jewish cultural center.
Upon his return to Tehran Wednesday, Hadi Soleimanpour brushed off the case against him as "an international conspiracy against the Iranian nation and against high ranking Iranian officials."
"They tried to taint the Iranian nation with something it had nothing to do with," he told IRNA news agency. "The Iranian nation is too immaculate to be involved in international terrorism."
Soleimanpour was arrested in Britain in August on an Argentine warrant accusing him of providing help and cover to those behind the car bombing of the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association, which left 85 people dead and 300 injured.
The former envoy was then released on bail of 730,000 pounds (some 1.22 million dollars) - paid in part by the Iranian government - and on November 12, Britain turned down the Argentine extradition request.
He denied any connection to the bombing. He also said that he was not in Buenos Aires at the time of the attack.
Soleimanpour said he would be "honoured" to return to work at the Iranian foreign ministry. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
