EU Legal Advisor: Hamas Should come off ’Terror’ List

Local Editor

A top European Court legal adviser stated that the EU should consider taking Palestinian Resistance Hamas and Sri Lankan rebel group Tamil Tigers from its list of banned "terrorist" organizations due to a lack of evidence.

The EU "cannot rely on facts and evidence found in press articles and information from the internet, rather than on decisions of competent authorities, to support a decision to maintain a listing," said Eleanor Sharpston, a legal advisor to the European Court of Justice, according to the DPA news agency.

Sharpston described the grounds for keeping both groups on the list of outlawed terrorist organizations used by the EU as "not sufficient."

Hamas and Tamil Tigers could have been removed from the list as long ago as 2014 following the court ruling that said the decision was based on "factual imputations derived from the press and the internet." The EU Council which represented all 28 member states launched an appeal. Sharpston, a European Court adviser, has now recommended it be rejected.

Sharpston said that the EU has to present evidence on the attacks carried out by the groups. Moreover, she added that the EU can't rely on "terror" lists drawn up by countries outside the bloc, such as the US.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team