Iranian opposition reaction to news of new EU sanctions on Iran

1. Wide of news conference with banner in background reading (English) "PMOI de-listed in UK, EU must act NOW" 2. Close up of European Union and National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) flags 3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Alejo Vidal-Quadras, European Parliament Vice-President: "On behalf of all my colleagues in the European Parliament who have supported these action to de-list the PMOI (People's Mujahedeen of Iran), I call on the current EU Presidency to do what is expected of civilised and democratic nations and institutions. Abide by the rule of law and remove the PMOI from the EU terrorist list without any further delay." 4. Cutaway of news conference 5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dolat Norouzi, NCRI representative in the UK: "So, it is very clear that as far as the law is concerned that it is not the Iranian opposition movement that can be listed as a terrorist organisation. In our view it is quite clear that opposite to this, it is the Iranian regime's theocratic, brutal government in power that is actually been recognised as the most state sponsored terrorist country, active one, in the world community." 6. News conference ending with attendants applauding STORYLINE: British lawmakers formally removed the People's Mujahedeen of Iran from the country's list of banned terror groups, after a seven-year campaign by Iranian opposition group. On Monday legislators approved the decision of the Court of Appeal, which ruled in May that the group should no longer be listed as a proscribed organisation. The decision will give it more freedom to organise and raise money in Britain. In Belgium the European Parliament Vice-President reacted to the news by calling for the same measure to be applied by the EU. "I call on the current EU Presidency to do what is expected of civilised and democratic nations and institutions," Alejo Vidal-Quadras said in a news conference on Tuesday. "Abide by the rule of law and remove the PMOI from the EU terrorist list without any further delay," he added. The People's Mujahedeen of Iran (PMOI) is considered a "terrorist" organisation in the United States and European Union, and it was banned in Britain in 2001. "In our view it is quite clear that opposite to this, it is the Iranian regime's theocratic, brutal government in power that is actually been recognised as the most state sponsored terrorist country, active one, in the world community," Dolat Norouzi, a National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)representative in the UK said. The NCRI is the political wing of the People's Mujahedeen of Iran, or Mujahedeen Khalq, which advocates the overthrow of government in Tehran. Although the group participated in Iran's Islamic Revolution, it later became opposed to the clerical government. Members of the group moved to Iraq in the early 1980s and fought Iran's Islamic rulers from there until the United States invaded in 2003. American troops have since disarmed thousands of PMOI members. The group had argued that it renounced violence in 2001 and should no longer be listed as a terrorist organisation. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/506f4889f6fb88240f4833cb5eb8882b Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork