The Court of First Instance of the European Communities today annulled the European Union Council of Ministers’ decision (2007/868) to maintain the People’s Mujahideen Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK) on the EU terrorist list, ruling that the EU had failed to give sufficient reasons to keep the PMOI on the list, following a British judgment of the Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission removing the organization from the national list.

The Court found that “having regard to all the relevant information at the date when Decision 2007/868 was adopted, and taking account of the particular circumstances of the case, (…) the statement of reasons is obviously insufficient to provide legal justification for continuing to freeze the applicant’s funds.”

Earlier this year, on September 3, the European Court of Justice suspended the EU sanctions against Yassin Al Kadi and Al Barakaat International Foundation.

Relevant documents regarding the PMOI case:
– Press Release of the Court of First Instance of the European Communities, October 23, 2008
– Judgment of the Court of First Instance of the European Communities, October 23, 2008
– Judgment of the UK Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission, November 30, 2007