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International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ) Calls for Recognizing NCRI

VICE PRESIDENT

Press release- 4 June 2012

Following the ruling of the US Court of Appeal, Call for Recognizing NCRI

On 1 June 2012, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Washington ordered the U.S. Secretary of State to make a decision on the Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) listing of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI-MEK), in less than four months from the date of the ruling or otherwise the court will remove the FTO listing of the Organization.
This should be considered a great victory, not only for the PMOI, a member organization of the political coalition, National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), but also for justice all around the world. We congratulate this victory to PMOI and NCRI, specially their members, supporters, and families in Camps Ashraf and Liberty and inside Iranian prisons, those who have suffered the most from this listing.
We also applaud Mrs. Rajavi, the President-elect of the NCRI, for her leadership in this great campaign, setting a valuable judicial precedence and raising standards for justice in today’s world.
This unjustified listing, during the past 15 years, has caused much harm inside Iran, in Ashraf, and also in the Iranian communities in the United States. Many members, supporters and families of the organization have been executed or arrested and the authoritarian rulers of Iran have justified their doings using the terror tag. Maliki’s government in Iraq also used the same labeling to stage two separate massacres in Camp Ashraf.
The Appeals Court in its ruling states: “We have been given no sufficient reason why the Secretary, in the last 600 days, has not been able to make a decision which the Congress gave her only 180 days.” We say during the past 15 years no reasons were given to any authority why the State Department has blacklisted this movement of democratic opposition to the Iran totalitarian regime and doing so has prolonged the life of this dictatorship and has in practice made itself an accomplice to its crimes.
After 15 years that the US administration blacklisted this organization for pure political objectives and to improve its relationship with the Iranian dictators, the Court has put an end to this devastating injustice. It is now up to Mrs. Clinton to remove without any delay, the PMOI from the list and make up for the 15-year-old error.
In this juncture, we warn the government of Iraq and Nouri al-Maliki that have used the U.S. blacklist as an excuse to stage two massacres in Camp Ashraf and is using it to suppress the residents in Liberty, that there will be no longer any pretext for continuing crimes and blockades against residents of these two refugee camps. European Parliament, ASP 11E205, 60 rue Wiertz, B-1047, Brussels, Belgium 2
In the European Parliament and in the International Committee “In Search of Justice”, we have followed the campaign in Europe and the United States against the unjust terror label on the PMOI. We should recognize that the Iranian Resistance, despite all obstacles, has managed to pursue a commendable and relentless effort to pace through legal paths, despite all hardship and political and official obstructions, in their request for justice. Such capacities shine the true democratic nature of this opposition, qualifying the movement and its leadership to be among those that, inside and outside Iran, are best placed to lead the way to democracy and freedom for their country.
The ruling of the Court will, with no doubt, propel democratic change in Iran and encourage Western countries to change their strategy of appeasement by one of courage and determination. This will make us face new duties and responsibilities. Following this success, International Committee “In Search of Justice”, will continue its “search” with added efforts but this time for “justice” in Iran hand in hand with the democratic alternative.
We invite all advocates of justice, human rights and democracy, to join us at the June 23 gathering of Iranians in Paris in solidarity with the people of Iran, which we will ask the international community and particularly Europe and the United States to:
First – Defend the rights of the residents in Camps Ashraf and Liberty who are one of the biggest assets for democracy in Iran’s future and to take necessary steps for their protection.
Second – Recognize NCRI as a democratic alternative to this regime. The NCRI, formed in Tehran in 1981, has a secular program and strongly advocates the rights of women and minorities, rule of law and civil liberties. This is the most effective way we have to confront export of terrorism and sheer violations of human rights by the mullahs and their endeavor to acquire nuclear weapons.

Alejo Vidal-Quadras
Vice President of the European Parliament
President of the International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ)

International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ) enjoys the support of over 4000 parliamentarians across the Atlantic

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