An Argentine judicial chamber has allowed 12 of 19 crew members of a Venezuelan plane to leave Argentina, local media reported on Tuesday, after the plane was detained in June due to suspicions the aircraft of Iranian origin had terrorism ties.
By Reuters – Eliana Raszewski
Sep 13, 2022
The Federal Court of Appeals of La Plata in the province of Buenos Aires authorized the 12 crew members’ departure and ordered a judge to resolve the investigation into the crew within 10 days, news outlets La Nacion and Infobae reported.
The court did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Emtrasur cargo plane was sold to Venezuela by Irán’s Mahan Air a year ago, according to the Iranian airline. It arrived in Buenos Aires in early June, according to flight tracking data, with both Venezuelan and Iranian crew members.
Its arrival caused a diplomatic issue for Argentina, which the United States accused of supporting U.S.-sanctioned countries Irán and Venezuela.
A U.S. court asked Argentina to seize the aircraft in August, which it did the following week. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said the court order was intended to “steal” the plane.
Irán and Venezuela maintain close ties and signed a 20-year cooperation plan in June. Center-left Argentine President Alberto Fernández has criticized U.S. sanctions on Caracas.
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