LIMA, Peru (AP) — A Peruvian judge has ordered 18 months of preventative detention for an Iranian and two Peruvian men while they are investigated for allegedly attempting to kill two Israelis living in the South American country.
The ruling by Magistrate Miguel Quevedo was handed down Tuesday but released Wednesday. The defendants are also accused of conspiracy to commit terrorism.
The judge said the motive for the unsuccessful alleged killing plot was unclear, but police and prosecutors in Peru have said the Iranian, Majid Azizi, could be a member of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, which is responsible for intelligence work outside Iran.
The Associated Press could not independently confirm whether Azizi is a member of the Quds Force. Iranian authorities have not commented.
On March 15, after Azizi’s arrest, the Israeli embassy in Lima thanked the Peruvian police and prosecutor’s office in a press release “for having dismantled an Iranian attack that was directed against an Israeli citizen.”
What to listen for during Supreme Court arguments on Donald Trump and presidential immunity
Britain's 'drone superhighway' will be completed this SUMMER: 165
Podcast pick: The best audio show to listen to now
Hundreds fined, cars impounded at weekend street race meet
All rise! Former judge says 'pop
Tailoring, light layers and on
Podcast pick: The best audio show to listen to now
What is Havana syndrome? Symptoms explained after bombshell 60 Minutes episode
Primary voters take down at least 2 incumbents in Pennsylvania House
Children addicted to tech including smartphones are more at risk of psychosis, study suggests
Los Angeles marches mark Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day
China's latest missile test raises the stakes for Biden's nuclear weapons review