Iran summons ambassadors of the EU countries to protest against their decision to remove the MKO from the list of terrorist organizations. Earlier in January, the foreign ministers of the European Union countries approved a decision to remove the Mujahedeen Khalq Organization (MKO/PMOI) from the blacklist.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for European Affairs Mahdi Safari has lamented the European Union’s “double-standard and hypocritical” approach toward terrorism and warned about dire consequences of compromise with terrorists. The comments by Safari came as foreign ministers of the 27-nation EU removed the name of the Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) from its terror list on January 26.
It is true that the decision to withdraw from the European list is motivated solely on technical issues and form such aspects of rights of defense. But now, France has appealed this decision and the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs reiterated that for it, PMOI did have its place on this list. Moreover, the text that was adopted makes it clear that several countries among the 27″are not convinced that the Mujahedin were away from terrorism”. It will be recalled that the process of withdrawal, the Swiss and the French had launched new accusations against PMOI.
There is now a new attitude in Europe towards the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization. God willing, the European states will reach a solution according to which they will accept them there. This group’s stay in Iraq is no longer accepted by the people and government. I can tell you that the leadership of this group committed big mistakes in the past. It cooperated with the dictatorial regime in the fight against the Kurds and the Shi’is in the central and southern regions.
Egyptian diplomatic sources said Egypt has ignored a request by the delegation of the People’s Mojahedin Organization (MKO) that visited recently to demand the support of Egypt for the MKO/PMOI in the face of growing Iranian influence in Iraq. The source noted that in regard to the strained relations between Cairo and Tehran, which asserts that it can tolerate no more tension, the existence of disparities and problems in the relations in the recent period does not mean interference of Egypt in Iran’s internal affairs.
Iran’s Embassy in Norway announced on Thursday that the European Union has turned a blind eye on terrorist activities of Mojahedin Khalq Organisation by deproscribing it from its terror list. In a statement, the embassy said the MKO/PMOI/MEK has conducted many assassination and terror operations inside Iran and Iraq, claiming thousands of innocent lives.
A State Department Spokesman says the US administration will not change the terrorist status of the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO/PMOI/MEK).”We’ve already done a review and it was determined that there would not be a revocation of that status for the Mujahedin-e Khalq, so nothing has changed from our standpoint,”Robert Wood said at a briefing on Monday, when asked if Washington would follow the action taken by the European Union.
For Josy Dubié (Belgian MP), there is not a doubt that PMOI is”a sect”. The Belgian senator draws from his memories international reporter to the RTBF to affirm it. At the end of the Iraq-Iran war, they are the combatants of this organization which Saddam Hussein had sent like”flesh with canon”at the time of the battle of Mehran, in 1989…”I know them from inside”, continues the senator,”and I can say to you that their behavior is to be brought closer to that of the members of Scientologie”. Didn’t they evolve since the Eighties? Josy Dubié does not believe in it at all.”They[PMOI/MKO/MEK] are still as sectarian as before”, he ensures.
The MKO/PMOI, which seeks to destabilize the government in Tehran, is currently headed by Maryam Rajavi — who considers herself the president-elect of a supposed Iranian government-in-exile. France has offered to take in members of the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO/PMOI/MEK) who are being forced to leave Iraq, sources claim. The French government has volunteered to transport MKO members onboard its passenger aircraft to France as soon as possible, Iraqi sources told Tabnak on condition of anonymity.
An Iranian lawmaker today urged France to relinquish any political pressure to remove name of the Iraq based – Mujahideen Khalq Organization (MKO/PMOI/MEK) out of the terrorist groups’ list and keep up its independent position. ..Head of MKO Maryam Rajavi is expected to remain excluded from the UK despite the EU dropping the previously outlawed group from its proscribed list. British Foreign Office said that although it does not discuss individual cases of exclusion, the government continues to believe that the MKO or MeK, as it prefers to call it, was”responsible for vile acts of terrorism over a long period.”