By Gavin Cordon
Source: The Press Association
The Government has been refused leave to appeal a ruling ordering it to remove an Iranian opposition group from its blacklist of banned terrorist organisations, the Home Office confirmed tonight.
The Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission (POAC) turned down an application by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to appeal its ruling last month that the People’s Mojahadeen Organisation of Iran (PMOI) should be removed from the list of proscribed organisations under the Terror Act 2000.
The Home Office said that it was "disappointed" at the ruling and would now take the case to the Court of Appeal.
"The Government adopted a cautious approach in relation to the de-proscription of the People’s Mojahadeen Organisation of Iran," said Home Office Minister Tony McNulty.
"I remain convinced that where terrorism is concerned, the rights of the law abiding majority and the overriding need to protect the public, both in the UK and abroad, must lead us to take such a cautious approach. I firmly believe that we should be entitled to take this view.
"Proscribed organisations are regularly reviewed and we have already strengthened our processes for this, and for considering applications for their de-proscription.
"We will look at these processes again in the light of this judgment to ensure that we continue to treat all proscribed organisations fairly, proportionately and in accordance with the law."
The ruling was, however, warmly welcomed by supporters of PMOI, which has the backing of 35 MPs and peers.
Lord Corbett of Castle Vale, the chairman of the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom, said: "I am not surprised. POAC found, on the facts, that the Home Secretary got the law wrong, ignored the evidence, asked the wrong question and so reached a ‘perverse’ decision.
"The Home Secretary should now admit to the mistake and implement POAC’s judgment, which ordered the removal of Iran’s main democratic opposition, the PMOI, from the list of proscribed organisations."
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MEK-PMOI-IRAN