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Belgium says NCRI a cover-up for MKO

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Brussels, Oct 28, IRNA
Belgium-MKO
Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht said Thursday that he regrets the fact that Maryam Rajavi, a leader of the Paris-based terrorist grouplet MKO, was received in Brussels Tuesday by a few Belgian senators.

"Mrs Rajavi claims she represents peaceful and democratic opposition in Iran. Nothing is further away from the truth. The NCRI (National Council of Resistance of Iran) is in reality a cover-up organization for the MKO, which since 2002 has been on the US list of terrorist organizations," said de Gucht in a statement received by IRNA Thursday evening.

"The EU points it out as a group which has been subjected to anti-terrorism measures in the general framework of the fight against terrorism. In addition, Mrs Rajavi's husband is a founder of the MKO," said the statement both in French and Flemish, the two official languages of Belgium.

The minister noted that the MKO has been responsible for many murder attempts in Iran and outside the country.

According to a a Human Rights Watch report in May 2005, the MKO could be found guilty of a number of human rights viloations, including torture sometimes leading to death.

"I have always strongly defended the strengthening of civil society in Iran and contacts with the opposition. The credibility of this position depends among other things on the seriousness and representation of Iranian counterparts. MKO does not meet these criteria," he said.

De Gucht said his position has always been very clear vis-a-vis Iran's nuclear file or human rights performance or the necessity for Iran to play a positive role to improve stability in the region.

"By offering a platform to Mrs Rajavi and through her meeting with parliamentarians, Belgium is playing its diplomatic credit.

Marking progress in this context proves to be more difficult and this damages our credibility.

"I would even say Mrs. Rajavi's visit weakens our country's position with regard to the fight against terrorism" concluded the statement.

The MKO is on the EU's terror list but not the NCRI.

Rajavi met in a sideroom of the Belgian Senate in Brussels with its president, Mrs Anne-Marie Lizin, and five other senators.

Lizin had underlined that the meeting with Rajavi was unofficial.

In Tehran, the Iranian Foreign Ministry called twice the ambassadors of Belgium and Finland to strongly protest the visit of Rajavi to the Belgian Senate, saying it was an unfriendly act of Belgium.

Finland currently holds the EU Presidency.

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