The following is a press release by the European Committee for De-listing the PMOI, In Search of Justice (ISJ), on a press conference held on Wednesday, December 10, to call on the EU Council to comply with the ruling of the Court of First Instance of the European Communities to remove the PMOI from the terror list:
The following is a press release by the European Committee for De-listing the PMOI, In Search of Justice (ISJ), on a press conference held on Wednesday, December 10, to call on the EU Council to comply with the ruling of the Court of First Instance of the European Communities to remove the PMOI from the terror list:
In a press conference in Brussels held by the European Committee for de-listing the PMOI, In Search of Justice (ISJ), headed by Dr Alejo Vidal-Quadras, the Vice president of the European Parliament, the ISJ demanded the Council of Ministers to abide by the judgment of the Court of First Instance on 4 December and to remove the main opposition movement PMOI from its black list immediately.
Based on the verdict, Mr Vidal-Quadras declared that the PMOI is no longer on the EU’s terrorist list and cannot be placed on the list again. He reiterated that the Council was obliged to make an official announcement to acknowledge the court ruling and must compensate for the heavy damage inflicted on the Iranian people and their Resistance.
Mr Vidal-Quadras said: "It is now proven that the Council of Ministers has violated the law. It is also proven that the PMOI is a popular movement which deserves to be supported. It has a massive social backing inside Iran and it is our duty to support this movement".
While referring to paragraphs 72 and 73 of the Court ruling, the Vice President of the European Parliament said that the Court had strongly protested to the behaviour of France in making the files against the PMOI as secret and classified and refrained from providing them to the Court, while at the same time requesting EU member states to refuse communication of information to the court, which justified the keeping of the PMOI on the funds-freezing list.
Mr Mogens Camre-Vice president of UEN Group at the European Parliament said:
"I have talked to my government about the Court judgment, and reminded them of the obligations of this judgment. I also have reiterated that they should confront with any attempt to once again put the PMOI in the list by the Council."
Mr. Mohammad Mohaddessin, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran said that the unprecedented Court ruling leaves no room for any more excuses by the Council and it has to admit that the PMOI is out of the list. He underscored that in light of explosive state of affairs of Iranian society, any investment on the clerical regime would be a grave strategic mistake.
The Dec 4 ruling was the third time that the court has ruled against the decision of the EU member states to include the PMOI on its list of terrorist organizations.
"In search of justice – The European Committee for De-listing PMOI", established in September 2008, is supported by 2,000 members of the parliament from various member states.
The European Committee for De-listing PMOI (ISJ)
10 December 2008
