Under section 3 of the Terrorism Act, the UK Home Secretary has the power to proscribe organizations believed to be “concerned in terrorism”. Both the wide definition of terrorism and the vagueness of the grounds for proscription could lead to abuse the law in support of the illegitimate organizations rather than their proscription.
In a recent interview with David Storobin, a New York lawyer, MP Brian Binley, who is the UK Conservative Party Member of House of Commons for Northampton South and an advocate of MKO, made it clear that they, supporters of MKO, had so far failed to convince their governments to de-proscribe MKO
One year ago, on the very same day as the London bombings, representatives of a globally proscribed terrorist organization were being entertained in the House of Lords by Lord Corbett. Such a regrettable misuse of Britain’s democratic institutions by Lord Corbett is not new, and complaints have frequently been made to the relevant authorities, including the Home Minister.
The Mojahadin-e Khalq was proscribed in the UK in March 2001.
My right hon. Friend the then Home Secretary decided to proscribe this group because it met the criteria under the terrorism legislation. This decision was endorsed by Parliament.
The list of proscribed organisations is kept under constant review. Under section 4(2) of the Terrorism Act 2000 an organisation or affected person may apply to the Home Secretary for an organisation to be deproscribed
Dr. Howells: The Mujahedin-e Khalq Organisation (MEK) is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the United Kingdom. The MEK appears on the list of persons, groups and entities which are subject to restrictive measures with a view to combating terrorism under Council Regulation 2580/2001-EC. The Court of First Instance of the European Communities is currently scrutinising the process by which the MEK was included on that list, and the UK has made representations to the Court. Judgment in that case is awaited.
…”UK government put the MKO on terror list in March 2001,”Howells said.”This list is reviewed and revised every two years, but there is no information on the MKO that can change its status,”…
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman) replied:
“My Lords, I have not the smallest intention of doing so. I shall turn to that point immediately.
“It is clear that there is a range of concerns, and I hope that that will not turn into uncritical enthusiasm for groups opposed to the Iranian regime, particularly those calling for the repeal of proscription currently in place. The MeK, or the PMOI, now tends to describe itself as a democratic party working for human rights, but there has been a history of involvement in terrorism. I have looked at the balance of the information available….
Referring to the Britain Anti-terrorism Law, passed in year 2000, Dalton named Mojahedin organization as a terroristic group and said the members of the group have no right to be active in Britain.
The document published by the US Department of State on October 11, 2005 emphasised that the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation (aka MEK, MKO, NCR, NLA, …) has been assigned to the permanent list of terrorist organisations. As you are aware, the British government and the European Union have also continued to acknowledge the Mojahedin organisation as a terrorist entity. …
…Foreign Office minister Lord Triesman rejected the call, saying that the MKO was proscribed under the country’s Terrorism Act 2000 and that the government had”no plans to carry out such a review.”