NCRI – "The only way that we can avoid the horrors of war is if we observe the rule of law and in this respect I would suggest that the European Union which is one of the major political and economic powers of this world should show itself unequivocally to be wedded to the rule of law," said David Jones, British Conservative MP, in his speech at a meeting in the European Parliament in Brussels on May 28.
The meeting was organized by three committees specialized on Iran from British Parliament, European Parliament and France to press the European Union to remove the main Iranian opposition, the PMOI (MEK), from its terror list after the definitive ruling of the British Appeal Court. Text of his speech follows:
One of the greatest gifts that my nation has bestowed upon the world are the plays of William Shakespeare and one of my favorite quotations from Shakespeare is actually from the play Henry VI part II and it is the line, ‘The first thing we do is to kill the lawyers’.
Well, I am bound to say that I am very grateful that that exhortation has not been generally followed. Not least because I myself am a lawyer, but also because one of the other great gifts that my nation I believe has bestowed on a great part of this world is the respect for the rule of law.
Now I became involved in the struggle on behalf of the PMOI, because I believed very profoundly that a huge injustice had been done to people who were in my opinion themselves victims.
I am glad to see that in my country, that injustice was reversed by the operation of the rule of law, the very forthright expression of the rule of law by the Court of Appeal under the presidency of the most senior judge in the land.
We live ladies and gentlemen in an increasingly globalised world. The only way that civilized nations can do business. The only way that we can avoid the horrors of war is if we observe the rule of law and in this respect I would suggest that the European Union which is one of the major political and economic powers of this world should show itself unequivocally to be wedded to the rule of law.
In this respect I would strongly urge the EU as soon as practically possible to observe what has happened in London, to pay close regard to the decision of the Court of Appeal and as soon as possible reverse the proscription on the PMOI.
It is only if the EU shows itself to be devoted to the rule of law, to be observant of the rule of law that the EU itself can be seen to be an important, major respected power in this world.
I am very pleased to have supported the PMOI over the last few years. I am very proud that my country has shown itself to be devoted to the rule of law and I hope now that my country will use whatever force it can muster here at the Councils of the European Union to ensure the EU itself reverses this shameful proscription on the PMOI.
