ARGENTINE JUDGE INDICTS DOZEN INVOLVED IN MAY 17

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000704 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT ALSO FOR DRL/SEAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PTER PHUM ASEC AR SUBJECT: ARGENTINE JUDGE INDICTS DOZEN INVOLVED IN MAY 17 ATTACK ON ISRAELI ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION REF: BUENOS AIRES 0599 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (SBU) Summary: An Argentine judge has indicted a dozen persons for their involvement in a violent attack (reftel) on a Buenos Aires city celebration May 17 marking the 61st anniversary of the founding of Israel. The Israeli Ambassador and the head of the Jewish community's political advocacy organization (DAIA) praised the judge's move. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Argentine federal judge Claudio Bonadio indicted a dozen persons who had been detained in connection with the violent attack (reftel) on a May 17 celebration organized by the city government of Buenos Aires city to mark the 61st anniversary of the founding of Israel. The attack left five persons injured, including two police officers. The criminal charges include aggravated assault, membership in an organization (the Revolutionary Action Front) seeking to impose its ideas by force, resisting authority, illegal possession of arms, flammable material, and false documents. The charges are aggravated by hate crime provisions. The judge ordered that nine of the 12 remain under arrest, and the other three be released pending trial. The defense attorney has said he will appeal Judge Bonadio's indictments. ¶3. (SBU) Israeli Ambassador Daniel Gazit and Aldo Donzis, president of the Delegation for Argentine Jewish Associations (DAIA),the Jewish community's political advocacy organization, praised the judge for not letting himself be intimidated by "the menacing pressure of armed, masked individuals protesting in front of the courthouse." KELLY