Maryam Rajavi Welcomes PMOI’s removal from Europe Blacklist

Stop Fundamentalism – The below statement was released by the office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, today, Monday 26 January, 2009.

Rajavi – Winds of Change Blow in Iran as Appeasement Policy is Defeated

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, following the removal of the terror tag from the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), said that the core of Europe’s policy of appeasement was crushed and the winds of change will now blow in Iran. The strategic investment by the mullahs’ regime to destroy the Iranian Resistance was lost.

Mrs. Rajavi said that the EU must compensate for the damages inflicted upon the Iranian people and it should replace the PMOI with the mullahs’ regime on the terror list. EU must also impose comprehensive sanctions and refer the appalling dossier of human rights violations of the regime to the UN Security Council for the immediate and binding measures.

She described the seven-year-long legal and political battle for removing the terrorist label from the PMOI was an integral part of combat against the religious fascism and for the establishment of democracy in Iran.

Mrs. Rajavi reiterated that the blacklisting of the Iranian Resistance contributed to the prolongation of the rule of religious fascism in Iran. This explains the reason behind the frantic reaction of the mullahs to delisting of the PMOI. The Iranian regime did not refrain from using all political and diplomatic pressures to maintain the PMOI on the list. Some powers and interest groups in Europe have exhausted whatever means in their disposal to defy the court rulings in recent days – such as a futile move to appeal against the court ruling — to please the regime in Iran.

She added that today’s decision by the EU Council was a victory for the Iranian Resistance and justice over petty economic interest and policy of appeasement. In this campaign, the European judiciary, parliaments and lawmakers stood by the Iranian Resistance.

The unjust terror label on the PMOI not only aided the regime in domestic suppression but also helped the expansion of war and bloodshed in the region. The only solution to the Iranian crisis is a democratic change through Iranian people and their Resistance. Instead of participating in suppressing the democratic opposition to the regime, the EU should recognize the Iranian Resistance for democracy and separation of church and state in Iran.

Mrs. Rajavi emphasized, after seven court rulings passed in European courts and removal of the PMOI from the terrorist list in the UK as well as EU, maintaining it on the blacklist of the US State Department is unjustified more than ever. The most important part of a changed policy in the US by the new President toward Iran is to set aside appeasement of the mullahs and taking the terror label off the PMOI.

She indicated that after removing the PMOI from the list, it is time that the Iraqi government reaffirms the status of Ashraf residents as protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention and lift all unjust restrictions against them.

Mrs. Rajavi thanked the European committee “In Search of Justice (ISJ)” headed by Dr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras, Vice-president of the European Parliament, which is backed by 2,000 lawmakers from across Europe, as well as prominent jurists and lawyers led by Lord Slynn, former judge at the European Court of Justice, and all dignified European men and women who challenged tirelessly the unjust designation and congratulated them for this victory.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran

January 26, 2009