LTTE attempts to delist from EU terrorist organization list
June 6, 2011 01:45 pm
A petition by LTTE activists in Europe through its lawyers have requested the European Court of Justice seeking to be delisted as a terrorist organization in the European Union (EU), reports said.
The petition claims that, “the LTTE was involved in an armed conflict with the Sri Lankan government from 1987 until 2009 in the pursuit of the right to self-determination for the Tamil population. “
Their attorney Victor Koppe argues that the proscription of the LTTE as a terrorist organization has frustrated the exercise of this right.
The petition further adds, “The LTTE was militarily defeated during the final stage of the war in May 2009 and is no longer active in Sri Lanka. It has declared that it will no longer engage in military strategies to further its political goals, thus the organization, as described in the Council Decision, does no longer exist.
Victor Koppe argues that the decision is not sufficiently reasoned and does not meet the procedural criteria required by EU law to proscribe terrorist entities.
