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EU court recommends removal of LTTE from terrorism list

The top court of the European Union (EU) has removed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from a banned terrorist organisation list, reports Reuters.

Judges at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) confirmed the ruling on Wednesday morning, stating the EU had not demonstrated enough evidence to show the LTTE was able to carry out any military attacks

"The Court of Justice therefore confirms the annulment of the continued freezing of the LTTE's funds," it was quoted by Reuters as stating.

A press release from the Court of Justice said the Council of the European Union "did not refer to anything that might explain why it considered at the time that, notwithstanding the LTTE’s military defeat in 2009, it was the LTTE’s intention to continue terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka".

"In view of the fact that such a military defeat represents a significant change in circumstances, one that is capable of calling in question the ongoing nature of the risk of the LTTE’s involvement in terrorist activities, the Council should have referred to the evidence supporting that assessment, which it failed to do," the press release continued. 

"The Court of Justice therefore confirms the annulment of the continued freezing of the LTTE’s funds between 2011 and 2015."

See the full text of the press release here.

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