House of Commons - Foreign Affairs

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs Written Evidence

Letter from the Lord Corbett of Castle Vale, Chairman, British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom

As you know, the Iranian regime has stepped up its repression through summary arrests, torture and barbaric punishments. In the first two weeks of this year more than 20 Iranians were hanged in public. Outside its borders, the regime wreaks devastation across the Middle East through export of fundamentalism and terrorism, while defying the international community over its nuclear programmes.

Iran's democratic coalition opposition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, and its largest member organisation, the PMOI, have been at the forefront of exposing the regime's crimes at home, terrorism and nuclear programmes. It is therefore no surprise that the regime has attempted to destroy the Resistance through torture, mass executions, bombings and assassinations. The regime's Ministry of Intelligence concentrates its efforts on an elaborate, sophisticated and well-financed operation to tarnish the image of the Resistance at home and abroad.

Whenever an MP or Peer expresses support for the goals of the Resistance, they are bombarded with misinformation about it, either by the Iranian Embassy in London or front organisations and individuals who pose as disaffected former members of the PMOI. Some pose as NGOs, including Nejat Society, Peyvand and Aawa Association. The Iranian regime also uses numerous websites to spread misinformation against the PMOI, including those listed below:

www.irandidban.com	www.iran-interlink.org
www.nejatngo.org	www.habilian.com
www.iranpeyvand.com	www.survivorsreport.org

Most recently, the regime's Intelligence Ministry and its agents have started distributing to Parliamentarians across Europe literature containing misinformation and allegations against the PMOI proven to be untrue. The most recent such publication is a book called "A terrorist group with different faces". The letter that accompanies this book has no address or contact details, nor does the website, which was set up in December 2007 and only contains an electronic copy of the book. This illustrates the shadowy nature of those involved in this campaign.

What has really thrown a spanner in their work recently has been the judgment of the Proscribed Organisations Appeals Commission, a specialist Court tasked with hearing an appeal by 35 MPs and Peers against proscription of the PMOI. After spending two weeks hearing all the evidence, including the misinformation of the regime and its agents, the Court ruled that the PMOI is not a terrorist organisation. The Court went as far as to describe the PMOI's proscription as "unlawful" and "perverse".

The Dutch and German security services have warned in their annual reports about the activities of the regime's agents in Europe. We should urge the government to act upon the resolution passed by the European Union confirming the commitment of all member states to take "unified action to expel and prevent the entry of Iran's intelligence and security personnel to member countries of the European Union".

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Lord Corbett of Castle Vale

Chairman

British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom

Lord Alton of Liverpool

Rt. Hon. Lord Archer of Sandwell, QC

Rt. Hon. Lord Waddington, QC

David Amess MP

Rt. Hon. Lord Fraser of Carmyllie, QC

Baroness Gould of Potternewton

Dr. Rudi Vis MP

Brian Binley MP