Following the British Court’s historic verdict regarding removal of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) from the British terrorist list, a press conference was held at the headquarter of European Parliament in Brussels initiated by the Committee of Friends of Free Iran on Tuesday afternoon Dec. 4, 2007.

In this press conference, Mr. Straun Stevenson, deputy chief of Christian Democratic group in European Parliament and co-chairman of the Committee of Friends of Free Iran, Mr. Paulo Casaca, European Parliament’s representative from the Socialist Group and co- chairman of the Committee of Friends of Free Iran and Mr. Eric Meyer, EU representative from the Left Coalition Group delivered their speeches.

Mr. Straun Stevenson congratulated the British Court’s ruling to the Iranian people and Resistance and emphasized on the importance and seriousness of that verdict and irrationality of the British Interior Minister, Jack Straw.

Citing Lord Corbett, he said: “It is several years that the PMOI has been subject to the Iranian regime’s demonizing. The British government had 5 days to decide on this verdict and now they say they want to appeal. This is at a time that the Luxemburg Court annulled the Council of Ministers’ decision of terrorist designation of the PMOI, but the Council ignored the highest authority of the European Parliament.

Mr. Stevenson added: The Iranian people are frustrated of brutal killings, public hangings, stoning , torture , detaining and beating youths and women and free thinkers. The National Council of Resistance of Iran is a democratic foundation, defends a secular government, abides by the international laws respecting the humanitarian values and human rights and democracy. They oppose acquiring WMDs and nuclear weapons and disturbing international community’s order. Naturally, we should support such an organization and not let the British government take such an ominous decision.

Mr. Paulo Casaca, European Parliament’s representative from the Socialist Group said: In fact part of the European and American public opinion serve the Iranian regime and we have had serious cases like the US Congress representative, Bob Ney, who is presently in jail for taking bribe from the Iranian regime.
Casaca added: The British Government lies when it says the PMOI is a terrorist group. I was in Cairo yesterday and I met there with some Iraqi refugees who had taken refuge in Egypt because of oppression and crimes in Iraq. We see the real terrorists are busy and they are active in their tricks. Ironically, these terrorists who carry out these atrocities in Iraq are supported by those who put the PMOI in the terrorist list.

Mr. Eric Meyer said in his speech: I am very happy of this decisive and explicit ruling of the British Court and I hope this would be a lesson for those who appease the dictators for economic interests and undoubtedly we will ultimately be victorious.