French remove restrictions on MeK

AUVERS-SUR-OISE, France, June 17 (UPI) -- The Paris Courts of Appeals revoked all restrictions Friday on members of the Iranian resistance group, Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, who were detained on June 17, 2003.

The announcement was made by Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, on the third anniversary of the restrictions.

"Today's ruling is one to be jubilant about. Yet, it is also very painful because for three years these unjustified restrictions disrupted our legitimate and legal activities to expose the clerical regime's atrocities," said Rajavi.

The leader of the NCRI stated that "the court has concurred that the allegations against the Iranian Resistance are baseless."

She demanded that the case be closed and referred to court expeditiously, so that it could be heard and the rest of the restrictions removed.

"The terrorism charge was nothing more than a pretext," said Rajavi. "When the allegations reached a dead end, instead of closing the file, they raised bogus financial charges, which similar to the terrorist allegations, are without foundation."

The MeK is on the U.S. State Department's terrorist list.

For the past three years members of the Iranian resistance, including Rajavi, were prevented from traveling. Members and sympathizers of the resistance were also banned from seeing each other.

"If resistance against religious despotism for freedom is considered a crime, then I and all members and supporters of the Resistance proudly accept this crime," said Rajavi. "Nothing can save the clerical regime from its inevitable fall," she added.