EU court overturns Tamil Tiger sanctions but SL express concerns
Posted on October 16th, 2014

European Union judges struck down anti-terrorism sanctions against the Tamil Tigers that were imposed by the EU but said on Thursday that the assets of the Sri Lankan group should remain frozen for the time being.

The court said a decision by EU leaders in 2006 to place the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on a list of terrorist organisations had been based on “imputations derived from the press and the Internet” rather than on direct investigation of the group’s actions, as required by law.

The Sri Lankan Government today said it was concerned about the decision of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to cancel the EU regulations proscribing the LTTE.

Issuing a statement, the External Affairs Ministry said the country was conscious of the fact that the listing of the LTTE is a matter internal to the EU and Sri Lanka is confident that EU would take the best action in this regard.

The Full Statement

The Government of Sri Lanka has noted with concern the decision of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on 16th October, to annul the EU regulations proscribing the LTTE. The defendants of this case have been the Council and Commission of the European Union, together with two member states, the Netherlands and the UK.

Expectedly, the ECJ judgment requires in-depth study by all the defendant parties. It is noteworthy that the Court has stressed the annulments to be on fundamentally procedural grounds” and do not imply any substantive assessment of the question of the classification of the LTTE as a terrorist group.” Further it is observed from the decision of the ECJ that the effects of the annulled measures are maintained temporarily in order to ensure the effectiveness of any possible future freezing of funds”.

Conscious of the fact that the listing of the LTTE is a matter internal to the EU, Sri Lanka is confident that the European Commission and the EU Member States will take the best possible decision on the future course of action to be taken in this regard, in accordance with their own legal architecture in preserving sovereignty.

The EU proscribed the LTTE as a terrorist organization in May 2006, and has remained on its list of terrorist entities ever since. Apart from the EU, the LTTE is proscribed as a terrorist organization in the USA, India, Canada, the UK and Sri Lanka.

The Government of Sri Lanka has fully supported the EU in its listing of the LTTE and has periodically provided information supportive of the regulation and also with a view to facilitate the Commission’s defence in the ECJ. The Government remains committed to provide to the European Commission and EU Member States, any further assistance and information available, to maintain the LTTE as a brutal terrorist organization.

It is noteworthy that a number of EU member countries have carried out investigations against LTTE activists in their territories, some of which are ongoing, while some have resulted in the accused being sentenced by Court.

Sri Lanka is further mindful that the ECJ decision may have an impact including from a security perspective, on the large majority of Sri Lankans living in EU territory, as well as EU citizens of Sri Lankan origin, who are likely to come under pressure once again by pro LTTE activists.

5 Responses to “EU court overturns Tamil Tiger sanctions but SL express concerns”

  1. Lorenzo Says:

    This is the first step in LTTE revival.

    SL army will have to restart killing LTTE terrorists now. The SOONER we start, the LOWER will be COLLATERAL DAMAGE.

  2. Nanda Says:

    Our weakness in engaging the west with vigour ( use of clowns as diplomats, taking jokers along when Prez traveling) is proven by this. Can’t blame others.

  3. Vis8 Says:

    Very good! The internet has become a life-saver for the war-refugees who now are documented to pay British quacks upto thousands of pounds to inflict “cigarette burns” and “torture marks” on their bodies, just to stay in the UK as refugees, and to get the free benefits.

    I hope the EU politicians who depend on the donations and votes of these refugees will realize, sooner than later, that they have a tiger by the tail.

  4. Sooriarachi Says:

    Believe it or not.
    We know that all these years, to obtain permanent residency in the EU, UK, Canada and many other Western nations, the migrants should possess professional or technical skills useful to the receiving nation. But amazingly the latest qualification is to be an illegally migrated member of a terrorist organisation, as they claim they cannot be returned to the source nation on the stupid assumption that they would be persecuted when in fact they would be prosecuted for the crimes committed in the source nation.

  5. Ananda-USA Says:

    Jayalalitha released on BAIL: This is not good … is this an instance of bribery and corruption UNDERMINING the Indian Courts?

    Let us see whether a case decision based on 18-years of HEARINGS and COLLECTED EVIDENCE will be NULLIFIED on December 18, 2014!

    ………………..
    Jayalalithaa Gets Bail, Likely to Leave Bangalore Prison Tomorrow: 10 Latest Developments

    ndtv.com
    By A Vaidyanathan
    October 17, 2014

    New Delhi: J Jayalalithaa, arrested three weeks ago, is likely to leave a prison in Bangalore tomorrow. The former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu was granted bail by the Supreme Court today on medical grounds.

    Here are the 10 latest developments:

    1. Ms Jayalalithaa, 66, followed the Supreme Court’s directive and issued a statement this evening, urging the adoring workers of her party, the AIADMK, to remain calm and not resort to violence, as they have in recent weeks.

    2. She was convicted by a Bangalore court on September 27 for collecting land, gold and other assets vastly exceeding her income in a case that had dragged on for nearly two decades.

    3. She was sentenced to four years in jail; she has appealed against her conviction and sentence in the Karnataka High Court. (Also read: How Jayalalithaa’s 18 Year-Long Trial Ended in 7 Minutes)

    4. The Supreme Court today asked her lawyers to ensure that all paperwork for her appeal is completed by December 18, or her bail could be cancelled.

    5. “If the paperwork is not filed within two months, then we won’t give you even a single day more,” the Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu said.

    6. The top court said it will then ask the Karnataka High Court to decide her appeal within three months to ensure a faster trial than the current case, which dragged on for nearly two decades.

    7. Following her conviction, Jayalalithaa, who heads the AIADMK, was obliged by law to step down as Tamil Nadu chief minister. She was replaced by loyalist O Panneerselvam at a swearing-in ceremony where many Cabinet members sobbed into handkerchiefs in an emotional display of fidelity.

    8. Outside her famous Poes Garden residence in Chennai today, hundreds of supporters danced joyously, shouting “Amma, Amma” in the pouring rain. (Read more…)

    9. Her case was transferred from Tamil Nadu to adjacent Karnataka in 2001 to ensure her political clout would not influence her trial.

    10. Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK is the third-largest party in Parliament, an accomplishment owed partly to her schemes that entitle people in Tamil Nadu to free grinders, laptops and more.

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