NCRI – Speaking to a meeting at the European Parliament on May 28, the Liberal Democrat British MP John Leech describe the ruling of the UK Court of Appeal to remove the People's Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK) from the terror list as a "crushing condemnation of the entire terror listing of the PMOI [MEK]."
He added, "It is for this reason that I come here to send a simple message to the European Council of Ministers, to abide by the rule of law and begin the process of removal of the PMOI [MEK] from the EU wide banned list immediately." The meeting was attended by dozens of Euro MPs and dignitaries from across Europe, the United States and North Africa. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi was also invited by Parliamentary groups to address the meeting.
The following is the text of speech by John Leech:
It is a pleasure to have an opportunity to speak in front of so many distinguished politicians and it is also once again a great pleasure to meet Madam Rajavi and I bring welcomes from my colleagues in Parliament. Today’s meeting is yet another towards democracy and this is supported by all mainstream political parties across Europe and this just shows the level of support there is for the PMOI [MEK] across Europe.
As one of the 35 appellants in the legal proceedings brought in the British courts, it has been a privilege to be a small part of what will become a historic period for the people of Iran. I would also like to pay tribute to the work done by the Iranian Resistance, particularly in the British Parliament to highlight the issue amongst British parliamentarians and to raise the issue of this injustice over a long period of time.
Ladies and gentlemen, our victory was not simply a triumph, but it was a crushing condemnation of the entire terror listing of the PMOI [MEK]. It is for this reason that I come here to send a simple message to the European Council of Ministers, to abide by the rule of law and begin the process of removal of the PMOI [MEK] from the EU wide banned list immediately.
I urge Slovenia as the current EU revolving President to put the systems in place to remove the group without delay.
The judgment of the British Court of Appeal could not have been clearer and I quote, "Neither in open material nor in the closed material was there any reliable evidence that supported a conclusion that the PMOI retained an intention to resort to terrorist activities in the future".
Furthermore, the 3 judge panel headed by the UK’s Lord Chief Justice added, that the closed material I quote "reinforced our conclusion that the applicant [the Home Secretary] could not reasonably have formed the view when the decision letter was written in 2006 that the PMOI intended in future to revert to terrorism".
It was such unprecedented findings which lead to the British courts finding the UK proscription of the PMOI ‘perverse’. The EU wide proscription of the PMOI has always been based on the listing by the British Home Secretary. It is for this reason that the words ‘flawed’, ‘perverse’ and ‘must be set aside’ ring true to an even greater extent over the EU wide ban.
On the back of the UK de-listing of the PMOI, there is no legal justification for the EU ban to be maintained and it must be brought to an end now.
I congratulate the people of Iran on their court victories. We will continue to do all that we can to guarantee democratic change in Iran and I know that together with the PMOI as well as Mrs Rajavi and the NCRI the greatest victory will be achieved eventually.
My final message to the Iranian regime is this, your days are numbered and we will continue the struggle until Iran is free and democratic.
