International Committee DEFEND
International Committee to DEFEND Filipino Progressivelas in Europe
Press Release
11 December 2009

EUROPEAN COURT JUDGMENT REMOVING PROF. JOSE MARIA SISON
FROM THE EU TERRORIST BLACKLIST IS NOW FINAL AND EXECUTORY

The judgment of the European Court of First Instance (now called the General Court under the Lisbon Treaty) removing Prof. Jose Maria Sison last 30 September 2009 from the terrorist blacklist of the European Union and unfreezing his bank account is now final and executory.

Through its Legal Office, the Council of the European Union has confirmed today to Jan Fermon, the lead lawyer of Prof. Sison, that it has not lodged an appeal of the aforesaid judgment to the European Court of Justice within the prescribed period of appeal of two months and ten days from the date of judgment. The expiry date for the appeal was yesterday, 10 December 2009.

Prof. Sison has sealed his victory after more than seven years of legal struggle against the EU terrorist blacklist since he was placed there on 22 October 2002 and was subjected to deprivation of the essential needs of human life and the violation of his fundamental human rights.

Prof. Sison won his case against the Council of EU before the European Court in 2007 on procedural issues. The court ruled that the Council has violated his rights to be properly informed of the charge, to be defended by counsel and to seek judicial protection.

Last 30 September 2009, Prof. Sison won his case on substantive issues. The court ruled that he was never investigated, prosecuted nor convicted for any specific act of terrorism and that passing and incidental statements in Dutch court judgments actually favorable to him on his asylum case from 1992 to 1997 and on the unproven murder charge against in 2007 did not make him a terrorist.

The 30 September judgment of the European court in favor of Prof. Sison is a brilliant landmark decision. It is a standard for preventing the arbitrariness of European governments in blacklisting individuals, organizations and other entities as terrorists and for upholding and respecting their human rights. It is a blow on trends of fascism in Europe which have been growing in the name of anti-terrorism.

With the 30 September judgment having become final and executory, the case of Prof. Sison against the Council of EU can move forward to the stage of determining what compensation shall be made to his lawyers and to him for the deprivations, violations of rights and moral and material damages that he has suffered for more than seven years.

Prof. Sison's battery of lawyers includes Jan Fermon from Belgium, Romeo T. Capulong of the Philippines, Hans Eberhard Schultz and Wolfgang Kaleck of Germany, Antoine Comte of France and Dundar Gurses of The Netherlands. Rachel F. Pastores of the Public Interest Law Center and Bernard Tomlow, Dutch lawyer of the NDF International Office, have provided legal cooperation.###

For reference please contact:
 

Ruth de Leon
International Coordinator-Committee DEFEND
Email: defenddemrights@yahoo.com
Telephone: 00-31-30-8895306
 

PRESS STATEMENT
13 December 2009

Statement on Prof. Sison's removal from EU terror list

The Kilusang Mayo Uno joins Prof. Jose Maria Sison, his family, friends and comrades in the Philippines and the world, as well as his legal team, in celebrating the removal of Prof. Sison’s name from the European Union’s terrorist list.

This is a sweet legal victory for Prof. Sison. He deserves this. Despite all the legal and illegal harassments he has experienced, he has stood firm in fighting for the liberation of the workers and peoples of the world. With the series of protest actions launched in many countries for his delisting, his legal battle now concludes in a resounding success for all struggling peoples of the world.

We have always believed that Prof. Sison is not a terrorist but a dedicated Marxist-Leninist-Maoist revolutionary who stands firm in fighting for the interests of the workers and peoples of the world against imperialism and exploiting classes. We have always respected his analyses and suggestions for the continued growth of the trade-union and people’s movements.

This is a sweet victory for the workers and peoples of the world, for it shows that charges of terrorism that we encounter along the way in fighting for national and social liberation can be defeated. This is also a triumph for all anti-imperialist forces around the world, for Prof. Sison can now perform his function more effectively as chairperson of the International League of People’s Struggles without the EU terror tag.

This is a slap in the face of the US-backed Arroyo regime, which has targeted Prof. Sison for demonization and legal harassment. This is also a slap in the face of US imperialism, which, in the name of its “war on terror,” has labeled those who lead in fighting monopoly-capitalism as terrorists.

We hope that this legal victory will signal more legal victories for Prof. Sison in the future.

Reference: Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU Chairperson, 0929-629-3243

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PRESS STATEMENT
13 December 2009

Pahayag hinggil sa pagkakatanggal ni Prop. Sison mula sa EU terror list

Nakikiisa ang Kilusang Mayo Uno kay Prop. Jose Maria Sison, sa kanyang mga kapamilya, kaibigan at kasama sa Pilipinas at mundo, gayundin sa kanyang legal team, sa pagdiriwang sa pagkakatanggal ng pangalan ni Prop. Sison sa listahan ng mga terorista ng European Union.

Maningning na tagumpay ito para kay Prop. Sison. Karapat-dapat siya rito. Sa kabila ng lahat ng panghaharas na ligal at iligal, matatag siyang tumindig sa paglaban para sa paglaya ng mga manggagawa at mamamayan ng mundo. Sa tulong ng serye ng mga protestang inilunsad sa iba’t ibang bansa ng mundo para matanggal ang kanyang pangalan, nagtapos ang labanang ligal na ito sa isang masayang tagumpay ng lahat ng nakikibakang manggagawa at mamamayan ng mundo.

Lagi naming sinasabing hindi terorista si Prop. Sison, kundi isang Marxista-Leninista-Maoistang rebolusyunaryong malalim ang dedikasyon at matatag sa paglaban para sa interes ng mga manggagawa at mamamayan ng mundo laban sa imperyalismo at mga uring nagsasamantala. Lagi naming iginagalang ang kanyang mga pagsusuri at mungkahi para sa patuloy na paglakas ng kilusang paggawa at kilusang bayan.

Masayang tagumpay ito para sa mga manggagawa at mamamayan ng mundo, dahil ipinapakita nitong ang mga kaso ng terorismo na nahaharap natin sa paglaban para sa pambansa at panlipunang paglaya ay pwedeng magapi. Tagumpay rin ito para sa lahat ng mga kontra-imperyalistang pwersa sa mundo, dahil magagampanan na ni Prop. Sison ang kanyang mga tungkulin bilang tagapangulo ng International League of Peoples’ Struggles nang walang hadlang ng bansag na terorista.

Sampal ito sa mukha ng rehimeng Arroyo na suportado ng US, na matagal nang tinatarget si Prop. Sison para pasamain at harasin gamit ang mga kaso. Sampal din ito sa mukha ng imperyalismong US na, sa ngalan ng “gera kontra-terorismo” nito, ay nagbabansag sa mga namumuno sa paglaban sa monopolyo-kapitalismo bilang mga terorista.

Umaasa kaming hudyat lang ang tagumpay na ito ng higit pang tagumpay sa hinaharap ni Prop. Sison sa mga pakikibakang ligal.

Reference: Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU Chairperson, 0929-629-3243