Global Coalition to Bring Jiang to Justice: Spanish Court's Decision Is a Benchmark for International Justice

The Spanish National Court recently indicted five high-ranking Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials – former Communist Party head Jiang Zemin and his die-hard followers Luo Gan, Bo Xilai, Jia Qinglin and Wu Guanzheng – on charges of genocide and torture of Falun Gong. Theresa Chu, lawyer and spokeswoman for the Global Coalition to Bring Jiang to Justice, stated that the Spanish court's decision is the most righteous and a benchmark for the international legal community. She called upon other countries to assist in bringing these perpetrators of the persecution of Falun Gong to justice.

Spanish court's decision sets up a righteous role model for the international legal community

After two years of elaborate evidence collecting and investigation, the Spanish National Court issued a summons. The court's notification stated that if the charges against the defendants are established, they are likely to face imprisonment for up to 20 years and may be economically liable to the victims for damages. If the defendants fail to respond to the court within six weeks, the judge could issue arrest warrants against them.

Theresa Chu said that the Spanish National Court's decision has great significance for the international community and mainland China, and sets up a righteous role model for the international legal community.

Other countries should assist in bringing the perpetrators to justice

Theresa Chu said that the litigation related to the human rights abuses against Falun Gong is the largest human rights litigation in the 21st century. Since 2000, the chief culprits in the persecution of Falun Gong – the clique headed by Jiang Zemin, including 25 communist officials in the current and former Ministry of Education and Ministry of State Security - have been sued in over 30 countries. There are 18 lawsuits against Jiang Zemin, among which five are civil litigations and the rest are criminal suits.

Ms. Chu pointed out that the crimes of genocide and torture are regarded as the most heinous, and the most serious crimes against humanity in the international human rights conventions. If the defendants are charged for committing these crimes, they would basically not be given diplomatic immunity.

Ms. Chu thought that the five defendants may not respond to the summons, but she said, "We encourage the Spanish National Court to keep [the pressure] up and issue arrest warrants to the defendants so as to bring them to justice."

Ms. Chu also stated that human rights lawyers who represent Falun Gong practitioners hope that all countries that have an extradition treaty with Spain will extradite the five defendants to Spain if these perpetrators travel to their countries. As for those countries that do not have an extradition treaty with Spain, as long as they have a law for punishing crimes of torture and genocide, they should punish these perpetrators for their involvement in the persecution of Falun Gong.

Those who have carried out and implemented the persecution will ultimately face historic trials

Ms. Chu said, "In addition, we have seen the decision's deeper level meaning, which is to let the Chinese people see that the international community has recognized the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners as being illegal. The people who have carried out and implemented the persecution order will receive just and historic trials for their involvement in the persecution."

Ms. Chu pointed out that the Communist Party in mainland China, still manipulates people to continue persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. "We believe that most Communist officials who have participated in the persecution have learned about this indictment. They may understand that they will be punished by law for following Jiang Zemin in committing such monstrous crimes," she said.

Calling upon those who have been involved in the persecution to atone for their crimes

Ms. Chu said, "We sincerely hope that [those involved in the persecution] will soon quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations, and stop participating in the persecution of Falun Gong. Even more importantly, we hope that these CCP officials reveal what they have done in the persecution and help the world's people learn the facts, as part of their effort to atone for the crimes they have committed."