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Formation of
a European Community for
de-listing the PMOI.
September 18,
2008
Tuesday, 16
September 2008 - Brussels:
In a Conference attended by
dozens of parliamentarians
form the European Parliament
and delegations from
national parliaments of
Member States including
France, Britain and Italy,
as well several pre-eminent
European jurist, the Vice
President of the European
Parliament, Mr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras
announced the formation of a
European Committee to
challenge the Council of the
European Union decision to
maintain the People’s
Mojahedin Organisation of
Iran on the EU terrorist
list.
The Committee
launched its campaign by
organising the all-day
conference in conjunction
with the Friends of a Free
Iran Inter-group at the
European Parliament.
Mr. Struan
Stevenson, the
Vice-President of the EPP/ED
said in the conference “In
Search for Justice – The
European Committee for
De-listing PMOI” (ISJ-ECDP)
is supported by 2000 members
of parliament from various
Member States. He said if
what the PMOI is doing
constitutes terrorism then
the EU Presidency should
also include
parliamentarians on the list
because we support PMOI’s
conduct. Paulo Casaca,
Co-Chairman of the Friends
of a Free Iran said the goal
is for justice to prevail.
The Committee
declared that it will engage
in a political and legal
campaign to remove the PMOI
from the EU terrorist list
and restore the rule of law
which has been disregarded
by the Council in the PMOI
case.
In the first
session of the conference
pre-eminent jurists,
including Lord Slynn of
Hadley, former judge at the
European Court of Justice;
Professor Antonio Cassese,
former President of the UN
International Criminal
Tribunal for former
Yugoslavia; Professor Herni
Labayle, Jean Monnet Chair
at the University of Pau;
Professor Bill Bowring,
President of the European
Association of Lawyers for
Democracy and Human Rights;
Sir Geoffrey Bindman,
Visiting Professor of law at
the University College
London presented their legal
opinion about the Council
decision in July to maintain
the PMOI on the list.
In their
legal opinion, the jurists
demonstrated the illegality
of the Council’s decision to
maintain the PMOI on the
list. They concluded that
the Council has disregarded
the rule of law and as such
has abused its powers.
The
conference also discussed
the recent developments
regarding the situation of
PMOI members residing in
Ashraf in Iraq. Recalling
two resolution adopted by
the European Parliament on
12 July 2007 and 4 September
2008, they emphasized that
the PMOI members in Ashraf
are political refugees and
protected persons under the
Fourth Geneva Convention and
as such they are protected
by the principle of non-refoulement,
International Humanitarian
law, International Law and
enjoy juridical security.
They emphasized that US
should continue protecting
Ashraf and transferring the
protection of the resident
of Ashraf would lead to a
disaster.
Alejo Vidal-Quadras
President of
"In Search of Justice,
European Committee for
De-listing the PMOI"
European Parliament , ASP
11E205, 60 rue Wiertz ,
B-1047 Brussels |
