Press release
3 October 2012

Following the removal of the People’s Mojahedin  Organization of Iran (PMOI / MEK) from the US terrorism list,  on Wednesday October  3rd, the Friends of a Free  Iran intergroup  in the European Parliament discussed  in a  meeting in the European Parliament headquarters in Brussels the consequences of this delisting and next necessary steps that have to be adopted.

Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian resistance addressed this session that was attended by dozens of MEPs from all political groups and chaired by Struan Stevenson President of European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Iraq. A panel of eminent speakers included Alejo Vidal- Quadras, European Parliament Vice President, Jim Higgins, a member  of the European Parliament’s Bureau, Günter Verheugen, Vice President of the European Commission (2005-2010), Nele Lijnen, Chair of Belgian Senate’s Committee on Equal rights, Marian Harkin MEP, Edit Bauer MEP, Romana Jordan MEP, Filip Kaczmarek MEP; and others. Participants stressed the following points:

1- The victorious campaign of the Iranian resistance to remove the US terrorist label is a rare case in modern history that has created a model of perseverance against injustice and raised
judicial standards. Breaking the PMOI’s terrorist designation represents a huge international defeat for the clerical dictatorship ruling Iran and from a political view has turned the balance of power against this regime.

2- The US terrorism label against the Iranian resistance, which was later mirrored by the UK and the EU, has been a major impediment against developments in Iran, an excuse in the hands of the Iranian government for torture and execution, and the most important tool in the hands of the Iraqi government to suppress and massacre Ashraf residents. The West consequently was on the side of the Iranian regime and against the democratic opposition and in effect was an obstacle for change in Iran.

3- Now after the delisting, the time has come categorically to end the appeasement policy towards the Iranian criminal rulers and to recognize the Iranian people’s resistance against religious fascism and for democracy and freedom. This is the only solution to Iran’s nuclear ambitions and their support for terrorism and fundamentalism. By learning from the past, we should not allow the mullahs once again to prevent a right and necessary policy and to keep the West in a path to maintain the interests of the Iranian regime.

4- Mrs. Rajavi has repeatedly declared that she and her resistance movement are fighting for a regime based on popular votes and a republic based on the separation of church and state, equality of men and women, peace and friendship with countries of the region and a non-nuclear Iran. The Iranian resistance has displayed in practice, throughout the years, devotion to these values. Supporting this resistance and these values is not only a demand of the Iranian people but a
 
necessity for today’s civilized world and a necessity for democracy and peace in the region and in the world.

5-  Ashraf and Liberty have been the biggest victims of this outrageous listing. Overlooking two massacres in Ashraf, a cruel four year old siege and imposing a forcible relocation, silence with respect to making Liberty a prison, which the UN Working  group on arbitrary  arrests also confirms, have all been the effect of this listing. This is while Ashraf and Liberty residents are protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention, are considered refugees by any criteria, and the UNHCR  has recognized  them as “people of concern”. Therefore the European Union, the United States and the United Nations must remedy the consequences and effects of this designation and guarantee their rights.

6- Very specifically the Iraqi government intends to plunder Ashraf residents’ property and actively prevents their transfer and sale. Ashraf is the byproduct of the work of thousands of people over 26 years and according to experts is worth $500 million. Both Iraqi and International Law support the ownership rights of the Ashraf residents on their movable and immovable properties. Thus the US and the EU must force the Government of Iraq to stop putting any further pressure on them and to recognize their ownership rights and allow them to sell their movable and immovable properties. The UN and UNHCR must declare Liberty as a refugee camp and should not allow the residents’ rights be trampled upon by using the “Temporary Transit Location” designation of Liberty. The EU should accept some responsibility with respect to the resettlement of Liberty residents.

7- The regime and its lobby abroad particularly in the US, and its allies in the international arena who have been terrified by the PMOI delisting, try in a chorus of condemnation to rebuke the PMOI or discredit it and claim that it has no place in Iran… This propaganda is well known to us and has been responded to by the Iranian resistance repeatedly. But these allegations cannot cover up the Iranian regime and its agents’ appalling defeat during the removal of the unjust terror tag on the PMOI.

Struan Stevenson, MEP Brussels, European Parliament