IRAN: UK MAY DE-LIST MEK BY EARLY JULY BUT WILL

C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 001593

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/09/2018
TAGS: PREL ETTC PTER IR UK
SUBJECT: IRAN: UK MAY DE-LIST MEK BY EARLY JULY BUT WILL
OBSERVE ALL PARLIAMENTARY STEPS

REF: LONDON 1468

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Maura Connelly for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. The UK's domestic de-listing of the
Mujaheddin e Khalq (MEK) may occur as soon as early July or
even late June, Foreign and Commonwealth contacts told London
Iran Watcher (Poloff) June 6, moving up their earlier
estimates (ref) by two to three weeks as to when Parliament
is likely to act. End summary.

Timing in Brussels Driven By Parliament's Action
-------------- --------------


2. (C/NF) FCO now believes the amendment to de-list the MEK
domestically will clear the House of Commons during the last
week of June, and it will then take "only a few days," likely
during the first week of July, to clear the House of Lords.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Iran Coordination Group
Bilateral Team's Helen Teasdale and Margaret Tongue hoped
"the EU process could slip a few days" to accommodate UK
domestic requirements. Teasdale told Poloff that HMG had,
due to the imminent timetable for the EU's separate
de-listing (or extension to December) of the MEK, discussed
the possibility of supporting EU de-listing in Brussels,
after the Commons had acted on the domestic de-listing of the
group but before the House of Lords' final action.
Reportedly, however, HMG discarded such an approach, because
it created an unacceptable risk of a backlash from the House
of Lords, if it became known HMG was acting before the Lords
had acted and Whitehall appeared to be publicly taking the
Lords for granted.


3. (C) Teasdale made it clear HMG wants to avoid any
appearance that it is evading or delaying implementation of
the UK Court of Appeals' order to remove the MEK from the
UK's domestic list of terrorist groups. She was unwilling to
discuss specific positions, tactics or timing which HMG
representatives in Brussels might adopt, but suggested that
any scenario which had the effect of extending until December
the EU listing, now set to expire in June, might be portrayed
by some in the UK as obstruction by HMG of the effect of the
Court's order. Teasdale added that HMG is very aware of the
pendency in EU courts of a MEK petition against the EU
listing, and HMG wants to avoid having to again revisit an
issue upon which HMG lawyers now have no confidence they can
prevail.

Tensions with Iran: Under Control
--------------


4. (C) Teasdale said that in Tehran there had been multiple
recent IRI expressions of concern about the de-listing,
including at least one demonstration -- a peaceful march by
mothers of victims of MEK attacks in front of the UK Embassy.
The IRI's primary bilateral concern at the moment appears to
be the pending extradition of former Iranian Ambassador Tajik
from the UK to the U.S. Teasdale said that the IRI appears
to now accept, in a limited way, HMG arguments that the
independence of the UK judiciary limits HMG's ability to
resist de-listing of the MEK, but Tehran still believes HMG
both supports the MEK and views its de-listing as a positive
development.
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