European Court says PKK can challenge inclusion in EU terror list

The European Court of Justice ruled Thursday that the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrilla group has the right to appeal against its inclusion in the EU's terrorist list.

The Luxembourg-based EU's top court ruled that a lower court was wrong in 2005 to dismiss a lawsuit by Osman Ocalan, a PKK representative.

"The Court of First Instance wrongly deduced from examination of Mr Ocalan's statements that the PKK no longer existed and could thus no longer be represented by him," said the higher court. It ordered the lower court to re-examine the case.

Osman is brother of imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. PKK is on the terror list of the EU and the US.