London: Iranians Rally Enters the 10th Week

NCRI – A large number of Iranians gathered on Thursday outside the British Parliament calling on the government of Tony Blair to respect the democratic rights of the main Iranian opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI).The rally was attended by Mr. David Jones, a Conservative Member of Parliament, who assured the protestors of his unflinching support for the rights of the Iranian people and their Resistance.

“The government must have sound reasons to keep a group or organisation in the list. I hope that your organisation which has made a great contribution to the international community is removed from the list of banned organisations,” Jones said at the rally.

“I was present in the European Court of Justice last year when in February it deliberated the case of the PMOI. This court in December ruled that the name of the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran should be removed from the list of banned organisations,” he added.
 
The European Court of Justice ruled in the First Instance on December 12, 2006 that the PMOI was unlawful placed in the EU’s terrorist list. In a landmark verdict, the ECJ annulled the ban on the PMOI.

Dr. Ali Safavi, President of the U.S.-based Near East Policy Research institute, told the rally that EU should reverse its policy of appeasing the clerical dictatorship in Iran.

“The PMOI were only added to the list as a result of the policy of appeasement of the mullahs’ regime. The EU called it a goodwill gesture to the regime. This is a shameful policy that sacrifices the rights of the Iranian people to resist tyranny. It is even more shameful and outrageous given that the European Court has ruled decisively that the PMOI is not a terrorist organisation,” Dr. Safavi said.

The rally has entered into its 10th week.