Court declines French, EU PMOI challenge

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LUXEMBOURG, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- A European court in Luxembourg issued a ruling in favor of the People's Mujahedin of Iran, declining a challenge to maintain the group on state terrorist lists.

The European Court of First Instance declined a request by the European Union and the French government for reconsideration of a Dec. 4 ruling for the delisting of the PMOI by the EU. The PMOI, along with its political wing, the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, is seeking regime change in Iran.

"The PMOI is no longer on the list, and the (European) Council has no alternative other than formally and publicly removing the PMOI from the EU terrorist list," said NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi.

The PMOI is listed on several state terrorist lists for its activity against the clerical regime in Iran in the latter part of the 20th century. The group says it renounced violence in 2003, however, and has lobbied aggressively to be delisted.

The European court ruled Dec. 4 the European Union had "violated the rights of defense" of the PMOI, adding Europe had not provided sufficient grounds to include the group on its list of terrorist entities.

The Dec. 4 decision follows a move in May by the British court of appeals moving to delist the group.

A group of 100 French lawmakers called on the government in Paris, meanwhile, to embrace the decision and reverse its standing on the PMOI.