IRNA

Charge d’affaires explains invalidity of MKO testimony to Argentine Judge

Iranian charge d’affaires to Argentina Mohsen Baharvand explained invalidity of the testimony made by members of terrorist Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) to Argentine Judge Rodolfo Conicoba Corral, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said on Sunday.

He told reporters that the meeting of the charge d’affaires with the Argentine judge had been arranged seven months ago in the context of cooperation between Tehran and Buenos Aires on legal proceedings about bombing of Argentine Jewish Center (AMIA).

"Following Tehran prosecutor’s decision to reciprocate Argentine justice system’s action violating immunity of Iranian government, the Foreign Ministry planned a meeting to take place in Buenos Aires between Iranian charge d’affaires and and Judge Corral to help him get rid of isolated approach and the big mistake he committed in the legal proceedings about the AMIA bombing."

"The charge d’affaires enlightened the Argentine judge that testimony produced by MKO members who according to US State Department are the dangerous terrorists of the Middle East is invalid and away from wisdom, especially the allegation that the terrorist bombing has taken place in reaction to Argentine government’s refusal to go ahead with cooperation on nuclear program," Hosseini said.

The spokesman said that Iranian Jewish community enjoy freedom and they have historical co-existence with other communities of Iranians so that the Argentine justice system has been misled by the false testimonies to bring those responsible to justice.

He said that Iranian nation and government sympathize with the bereaved families of AMIA bombing and is ready to cooperate with Argentine justice system to hunt down the terrorists.

"Iran reserves the right to defend Iranian nationals against baseless allegations about AMIA bombing and expects Buenos Aires government to respect immunity of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its senior officials."

IRNA –  December 03, 2006

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Tuesday that Iran and France were seriously determined to expand political, cultural and economic ties.

Mottaki made the remarks in a meeting with member of French National Assembly Xazier de Roux while pointing to deep-rooted ties between the two sides.

"Iran and France enjoy great potentials to develop cooperation.

France is an important European partner for Iran," he said.

Referring to terrorist measures adopted by terrorist Mujahideen Khalq Organization (MKO) to damage ties between Tehran and Paris, he said, "There is no a good or bad terrorist in the world."

The minister pointed to France’s special cultural and scientific position in the world and called on the country to resist to scientific apartheid and discrimination among countries on peaceful use of nuclear energy.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is against production, proliferation and test of nuclear weapons," Mottaki said.

The French MP, for his part, assessed as "very pivotal" Iran’s role in establishing regional and international peace and security.

He said France has an independent stance on regional and international developments, adding cooperation with Iran to establish peace and security in the region would be inevitable.

He stated that his country’s officials regard the MKO as a terrorist group.

On Iran’s nuclear case, he stressed that Paris has never opposed to Tehran’s right to have access to peaceful nuclear energy and expressed his country’s readiness to cooperate with Iran in this field.

IRNA  –   November 07, 2006

Iran Rebukes Belgium, Finland Over Terrorist MKO Leader’s Belgian Senate visit

Following an invitation extended to the president of the terrorist Mujaheddin Khalq Organization (MKO), Maryam Rajavi, to visit and speak before the Belgian Senate, the ambassadors of Belgium and Finland in Tehran were summoned by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

According to a report released by the Foreign Ministry Media Department, in the meeting Director-General of the Foreign Ministry for Western Europe Ebrahim Rahimpour expressed Iran’s strong protest over the unfriendly implications of the Belgian Senate’s invitation and condemned it.

Turning to the move as indicating support for terrorism, he strongly rejected the argument of separation of their legislative and executive branches of government to justify it.

Blasting the dual approach of Belgium and Europe on the issue of terrorism, he said by resorting to political games of this kind they risked Iran-Europe relations.

Addressing the Finnish ambassador in Iran, whose president is currently the rotating chairman of the European Union, Rahimpour reminded the ambassadors of their countries’ international commitments as well as laws approved by the EU against terrorism, and called on them to honor such commitments.

The MKO is listed as a terrorist group by the EU and US.

This is the second time this week that the two mbassadors have been summoned by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on account of the provocative measure of the Belgian Senate.

Rebuking the EU and its member states for their hypocrisy, he said although they claim to be staunch supporters of the battle against terrorism, for political convenience they would rather not confront terrorist groups such as the MKO and even support them.

IRNA- October 25, 2006

Iran’s Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations, Mohammad-Javad Zarif, wrote a letter here on Wednesday to the UN Secretary General and the head of the UN Security Council on outlawed Iranian terrorist organization, the MKO.

The letter reads, " Upon instruction from my Government, I have the honor to bring the following to your attention: On 16 June 2006 ,the French Government lifted a series of restrictions against a number of the leading members of a well-known terrorist group , namely the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO)."

The restrictions were previously imposed with a view to control the activities of the said terrorist Organization.

That decision runs counter to the decision of the European Union to place the MKO on its list of terrorist organizations.

It also contravenes the international commitments of the French Government in the area of combating terrorism. It is obvious that such an approach towards terrorist groups undermines the world-wide consensus against terrorism and could only result in emboldening terrorists to continue their inhumane activities.

Undoubtedly, terrorism violates the fundamental human rights and freedoms, and threatens international peace and security. Therefore, combating terrorism must be all-encompassing and devoid of any double standard and selectivity.

Governments, based on their international commitments, are obligated to refrain from providing any kind of support to terrorists, including harboring and financing them and precluding control over their activities and movements.

In view of the above, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran strongly protests against the said decision and cautions the French Government about the negative consequences that it may entail.

It expects that all governments, in whose territories the elements of the MKO are present, especially the French Government, to promptly adopt necessary measures aimed at controlling and suppressing the activities of this group and its affiliated front institutions, which are ,inter alia, engaged in planning acts of terrorism and money-raising activities under cover of charity organizations to illegal actions and promoting violence and terrorism.

I should be grateful if you would have this letter circulated as a document of the General Assembly under agenda item 108, and of the Security Council.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration."

United Nations, Aug 2, IRNA

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Hamid Reza Asefi, responded in a press conference to the joint meeting of MKO members with a number of Italian MPs:

"We believe it’s really unimportant. 4 poor men have met 4 unaware people. This indicates that these few Italian MPs are not aware of MKO’s records and that they should be illuminated, which will be done by our embassy. However, we have said that such move in fact encourage the violence."

IRNA  –  2006/07/31