Iranian exiles are outraged over a European Union decision to invite to the EU Parliament a senior Iranian official who may be implicated in the deadly 1994 bombing of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.
The official, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, is the chairman of the Iranian Committee for Foreign Policy and National Security. He has been invited to appear before the EU Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs on Tuesday to discuss Iran-related issues.
According to the European Parliament, his testimony will cover "the Iranian position on regional developments, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [the 2015 nuclear deal] and the current political situation in Iran."
Boroujerdi is considered to be a close confidant of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and has close ties with Hezbollah's senior leadership. In recent weeks, he has advocated a violent crackdown on anti-regime protesters.
He has been a strong advocate of Iran's ballistic missile program, which Iran continues to maintain in violation of the United Nations resolution that adopted the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the international community.
According to Iranian exiles in Europe, Boroujerdi has ties to Iran's former foreign minister, Ali Akbar Velayati, who is on Interpol's wanted list for his alleged role in the the 1994 bombing, which killed more than 80 people.
"Boroujerdi is one of Velayati's closest aides, and since he is fluent in Arabic, there is no doubt that he was in contact with people who were involved in the terrorist attack," an Iranian national told Israel Hayom.
Boroujerdi will also take part in a seminar on counterterrorism on Wednesday. The seminar will be held at the request of Iranian officials, and will focus on "joint interests."
Sources at the European Parliament say that his appearance before the committee on Tuesday represents the EU's efforts to show its unwavering commitment to preserving the nuclear agreement with Iran.
Earlier this month, hours before U.S. President Donald Trump was to announce his decision on waiving economic sanctions on Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met with the German, French and British foreign ministers in Brussels in a show of unity aimed at countering Trump's stance against the deal.
Boroujerdi's appearance has sparked controversy among lawmakers in the EU Parliament. Anders Primdahl Vistisen, a Danish member of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group in the parliament and representative of the Dansk Folkepart party, has demanded that Boroujerdi be disinvited because of Iran's involvement in terrorism.
"The EU responded very weakly when Iran began to crack down on protesters," Vistisen told Israel Hayom. "The EU does not scrutinize Iran and it has now become abundantly clear that it wants to help Iran counter the American efforts to undo the nuclear agreement."
He said his faction has yet to decide whether to boycott the meetings with Boroujerdi or to take part in them "so that we can raise the real issues that need to be discussed with Iran."
