European court to annul ban on LTTE

11 August 2011 11:14 am

Dutch lawyer Victor Koppe is representing the Europe-based political wing of the Tamil Tigers before the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has asked the court to annul the EU Council’s decision (Regulation 83/2011), reassigning the LTTE to the EU’s terrorism list.

Koppe argues this decision is null and void because the LTTE, as it is described in the decision, has ceased to exist. It has declared it will no longer engage in military strategies to further its political goals.

Koppe claims the EU ban is legally flawed and labelling the LTTE a terrorist organisation is contrary to international law as it frustrates the pursuit of the right to self-determination for the Tamil population.

He told International Justice Tribune (IJT) that his demand is partly to stop the prosecution of Tamils in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland and other EU member states: “One of our main arguments is that the Tamil groups are fighting a legitimate battle for self-determination. You know the right to self-determination is one of the fundamental principles of international law. And it is within the context of an armed conflict that there were two parties fighting each other. Obviously things have gone wrong, but to call the LTTE a terrorist organization rather than one of the two fighting parties is in our opinion contrary to international law.”  (Radio Netherlands)