Death of AMIA prosecutor Alberto Nisman to be marked as investigation continues

JTA Staff

BUENOS AIRES (JTA) — The late special prosecutor into the bombing of the AMIA Jewish center, Alberto Nisman, will be remembered both in Argentina and Israel on the second anniversary of his still-mysterious death, as the investigation into whether it was a murder or suicide continues.

Federal prosecutor Eduardo Taiano, who is investigating the cause of death, reportedly is analyzing whether Nisman’s death occurred on Jan. 18, 2015, the night when the body was found, or the previous day. In that case Diego Lagomarsino, a colleague of Nisman who currently is under investigation for lending Nisman a gun on Jan. 17, could move more into the spotlight since he was in Nisman’s apartment twice that day.

The new line of investigation was revealed Sunday by La Nación newspaper.

Also on Sunday, Nisman’s former wife  Sandra  Arroyo  Salgado, who  is  a  federal  judge, told Perfil newspaper  that she believes Lagomarsino  was  involved in Nisman’s murder.

Meanwhile, there will be a demonstration in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, the second anniversary of Nisman’s death, in front of the AMIA special prosecutors unit, which was managed by Nisman until his death, and is now overseen by three prosecutors. In Israel Wednesday morning, a tribute will be held in the Knesset with the participation of the Argentinean ambassador to Israel. In the evening a tribute will be held to Nisman in the coastal city of Nahariya.

In March 2016 the Buenos Aires Criminal Appeals court ruled that the case must be heard in federal court. No official cause of death has yet been determined.

Nisman was found dead in his Buenos Aires apartment on Jan.18, 2015, hours before he was to present evidence to Argentine lawmakers that President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner covered up Iran’s role in the AMIA Jewish center bombing, which left 85 dead and hundreds wounded.

Nisman’s case against the former president and members of her government will be investigated beginning on February 1, after the judiciary returns from its January summer break. After Nisman’s accusations initially were dismissed, an Argentine court in December agreed to investigate the case.