By Jim Brunsden
*Source:EuropeanVoice.com
People's Mujahedin Organization of Iran wins third case at an EU court against its blacklisting as a terrorist organization.
The EU's member states acted illegally when they froze the assets of an Iranian opposition group, the People's Mujahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), an EU court ruled today.
The European Court of First Instance faulted member states on two counts. Before their decision to freeze the PMOI's assets, taken in 2002, they failed to explain to the organization why they considered it to be a terrorist organization. They also breached the PMOI's right to defend itself against the charge of terrorism.
The court also said that member states failed to provide it with sufficient evidence that the PMOI's terrorist label was justified.
The judgment annuls member states decision to freeze the money.
The PMOI has been included on the EU's terrorist blacklist since 2002, and asset freezing is a standard procedure for those listed.
A spokesperson for the EU's current presidency – France – refused to comment on the ruling, which will now be examined by national representatives. Officials charged with managing the EU's terrorist blacklist will meet this afternoon to discuss the judgment.
Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, an organization affiliated with the PMOI, said that “Europe's credibility” would be at stake if it were to decide not to unfreeze the PMOI's assets.
The PMOI has already won two separate cases at the Court of First Instance against the freezing of its funds. In both cases, member states managed to find ways to abide by the court judgments while still keeping the organization's assets frozen. Today's court judgment annuls the most recent update of the list, on 15 July 2008, which reconfirmed that the PMOI should be included.
*http://www.europeanvoice.com/Article/63318.aspx