Iranian opposition claims EU for compensation

An Iranian opposition group PMOI claims millions for compensation from the European Union because the union has not accepted to remove organisation from the terrorist list as the court of European Community has decided.“How is it possible that EU what cherish democracy despise the court decision”, says Shahin Gobabi a member of CNRI, a branch of PMOI, which works in France. “This is a scandal.”

EU did not complain until the deadline about the court decision but decided to keep the organisation still on the terrorist list. PMOI went again to court to claim million euros for compensation.

The Union added PMOI on the terrorist list in 2002 after the demand of Britain. Last December the court of European Community that there are no reason for this act. PMOI has not used any kind of violence since 2001.

Regardless of the request of the court for proof that the organization has some connection to terrorism there hasn’t been any proof.
According to the organization their ideology is based on “interpret Islam in a democratic and tolerant way”. PMOI state that they patronize free election, equality between men and women and separation of religion and state.

There has been some proof for the claims that Iran has subjected EU and EU agreed to keep the organisation on the terrorist list.  The foreign minister of Britain Jack Straw said on a BBC radio interview that during the negotiations Iran has demanded keeping PMOI on the terrorist list. He also mentioned that EU has accepted this demand.

In addition in 2004 Britain, France and Germany suggested Iran that PMOI will be kept as “a terrorist organisation” if Iran accepts the demands concerning their nuclear programme during the international negotiations. This confidential information was revealed to the public by the news agency AFP.

“It was a gesture that EU did when they were negotiating about the nuclear programme of Iran. In practise it is Iran who put us on the terrorist list. This trade is dangerous and people are being killed because of it”, says Gobadi.

There are 48 organisations on the EU terrorist list such as Palestinian Hamas. Ending up to the terrorist list means that all the property of the organisation is frozen and the activity is prohibited.

According to Gobadi the property of 10 million euros of PMOI and its members has been frozen. Updating of the terrorist list will be done during this summer but deletion of PMOI from the list will not probably take place. The decision about which organisation will be added to the terrorist list is done by the suggestion of EU members in a secret work group where EU-ambassadors accept without discussion.

The system has been accused for not being open and in the case of PMOI Britain didn’t accept to give proof about the accusation of terrorism and appealed to the safety reasons.

Finland among other EU members has been also promoted keeping PMOI on the terrorist list. In Finland the system has been accused about it legal weaknesses.

Some MP of EU countries give their support to PMOI and its campaign. Piia-Noora Kauppi who has followed the situation is amazed that the purity evidence has been claimed from PMOI when it should be asked from the EU.

“The arguments have been proved false. It is shameful that the basic values of EU are not obeyed.”