The European Court of First Instance has annulled, for the third time, a decision by the EU Council freezing the assets of the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran, the PMOI.

For the background to the decision, which comes as little surprise, see my report of the hearing yesterday.

The EU court found that the Council had violated the PMOI's rights by not giving it the "new information" which, according to the Council, justified maintaining it on the list of banned terrorist organisations. The Council had also infringed the PMOI's right to effective judicial protection by failing to provide reasons for its decisions.

A refusal by the Council and the French government to provide the necessary information even to the court alone had infringed the PMOI's right to effective judicial review, the judges added. They ordered the Council to pay the PMOI's costs.

The court has never before given judgment within a day of the hearing. Its 21-page decision is subject to appeal.