Thousands of angry Argentinians took to the streets in Buenos Aires to protest Tuesday after prosecutor Alberto Nisman was found dead in his apartment Sunday morning. Nisman was about to reveal damning information regarding collusion between the Argentine government and Iran in covering up Iran’s role in the bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center building in 1994, which killed 85 people.
The protesters carried signs that said ”I am Nisman”, borrowing a theme from the “Je suis Charlie” and “Je suis Juif” demonstrations that have followed recent terror attacks in France.
Local Argentina police issued a report Tuesday morning according to which it turned out that Nisman did not hold a gun in his home, and the gun that was found at the murder scene was not his. An autopsy determined that he died of a bullet to the head fired from a .22 caliber gun. Police are looking for gunpowder residue on his hands, which could point to suicide if found. His body was found in the bath room.
No suicide letter was found in Nisman’s apartment.
For ten years, Nisman has been probing the alleged involvement of senior public servants in Argentina, including current president Christina Kirshner and Foreign Minister Hector Zimmerman – in a coverup of Iranian involvement in the AMIA bombing.
Nisman said several days ago that he possessed solid evidence that Argentina and Iran had made a deal in which Iran would supply oil to Argentina, in exchange for grain. Following this statement he had been summoned to testify in Parliament, and numerous opposition members believed that this testimony would be the downfall of Kirshner’s government.
Police were guarding the luxury high-rise building where Nisman lived.
“All signs point to suicide,” Public Safety Secretary Sergio Berni said Monday. Federal prosecutor Viviana Fein said Nisman died of “a gunshot wound to the temple” and “there was no role of additional parties (in the death).”
A day or two before his death, Nisman said in an interview: “I might get out of this dead.”