Call for removing unjust terrorist label from the PMOI/MeK and preventing a humanitarian catastrophe against Camp Ashraf residents
Washington- August 26, 2011
This morning Iranians from across the U.S. staged a rally outside the State Department urging immediate removal of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/Mek), Iran’s main opposition movement, from the State Department’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. They also asked for ensuring protection of this organization’s members in Camp Ashraf in Iraq.
In the demonstration, which lasted from 10:30 till 14:00, thousands of Iranians from 40 states of U.S. and Canada took part.
There were about 100 university professors, eminent scholars and physicians from all over the U.S. among the participants.
A number of prominent personalities from the U.S. and senior officials including Louis Freeh, former Director of Federal Bureau of Investigation (1993-2001); Ed Rendell, former General Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and Governor of Pennsylvania (2003-2011); John Sano, former Central Intelligence Agency National Clandestine Service first Deputy Director ; and Colonel Wesley Martin (retired), former Coalition’s counter terrorism commander in Iraq and US commander for protection of Ashraf) delivered their speeches in the rally and asked the U.S. to live up to its commitments regarding 3,400 Ashraf residents. They reiterated that no delay in removing the MEK from the FTO list is permissible. Patrick Kennedy, U.S. Congressman (1995-2011), and son of late Senator Edward Kennedy, moderated the rally.
In his speech, the British Conservative MP Brian Binley announced the support of 4,000 parliamentarians from across the globe, including a significant number of members of the UK Parliament and House of Lords, for delisting the PMOI from the U.S. FTO list.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the Iranian resistance, who was addressing the rally via satellite link from Paris, said, “It has been more a year since the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, which ordered the State Department to review the terrorist listing of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Iranian people and the Iranian Resistance have paid the price for this unjustified delay with the blood of their most courageous children. Political prisoners in Iran, like Ali Saremi, were hanged by Khamenei’s henchmen. And, the 36 heroes of freedom in Ashraf, who were martyred on the orders of the velayat-e faqih regime, were all part of this bloody price. The terror listing in the U.S. is openly used as a justification to legitimize such bloodletting, both by the cruel mullahs in Tehran as well as their proxy government in Iraq. Therefore, the Iranian people are asking the United States, ‘Why are you not annulling the license to kill our children?’ … This disgraceful listing separates the two camps of the regime’s supporters on the one hand and those defending freedom and democracy in Iran on the other.”
Mrs. Rajavi added, “Clearly, the U.S. bears special responsibility for ensuring the protection of these residents on the basis of its agreements with every single one of the residents in Camp Ashraf.As reiterated by members of Congress, the U.S. would be responsible for any future humanitarian catastrophes in Ashraf. “
Representatives of Iranian communities and societies from all over the U.S. as well as hundreds of Iranian-Americans whose relative live in Ashraf warned against the prospect of a new massacre by the Iraqi government and another humanitarian catastrophe in Ashraf.
They pointed out that placing the PMOI in the State Department FTO list, which was from the outset an act to only appease the mullahs, is a big impediment to democratic change in Iran. They said at a time that unprecedented waves of change have engulfed the whole region; there is no justification to continue this failed policy.
Human Rights and Democracy International
