of “supporting terrorism” by hosting a speech by the leader of an exiled opposition group dedicated to overthrowing the Islamic state’s clerical leadership. Reuters
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the speech to a private meeting of the parliament by Maryam Rajavi, the self-styled president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), “is unacceptable and an act in line with supporting terrorism.”
The NCRI is the political arm of the People’s Mujahideen guerrilla movement, which the United States and the EU consider a terrorist organisation.
In her speech on Wednesday Rajavi accused the European Union of appeasing Tehran by entering diplomatic negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme and urged MEPs to support a policy of regime change for Iran.
Rajavi was hosted by Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a vice-president of the European Parliament, and two MEPs who co-chair a group called Friends of a Free Iran, Paulo Casaca of Italy and Struan Stevenson of Britain.
“The European Parliament should be careful that the relations of a few of its members with this group will only discredit the European Parliament and result in a loss of public trust in it,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
