Geneva: Falun Gong Practitioners Continue Large-scale Appeal at the United Nations to Rescue Charles Li

On March 20 2003, more than 500 Falun Gong practitioners continued their large-scale appeal at the Place des Nations, which is outside the main United Nations building in Geneva.

The event was jointly organised by the World Organisation to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong and by Falun Gong practitioners; all hoped that governments and the international community will help to stop China's illegal trial against American citizen Charles Li and secure his immediate release.

At the press conference, Falun Gong practitioners held banners bearing the words, "Free Charles Li."

In a speech at the press conference, President of the World Organisation to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, Mr. John Law, said the Organisation has paid close attention to the trial on March 21 (Beijing time). He said according to multiple reports from third parties about how China's judicial system handles the Falun Gong issue, they had good reason to believe that the trial of Charles Li could not be fair and just.

Mr. Law also expressed that putting an American citizen on trial indicates that the Jiang regime's persecution of Falun Gong has escalated to a new level. The Chinese regime is telling the whole world that they have no respect for other countries' laws and international laws. The trial also indicates that they can illegally put any of the world's citizens on trial. Therefore, Mr Law called upon people of the world to respond with a strong voice of condemnation. He said that this trial must be stopped, and Charles Li must be released immediately.

After Mr Law's speech, a press statement published by American Attorney Terri E. Marsh was read. The statement said that China continues to be its own worst enemy through its undermining of public trust in the credibility of a criminal justice system, and that for this reason, we can assume that Falun Gong practitioner Charles Li will not be given a fair trial.

Finally, the host of the press conference talked about the severe persecution Falun Gong practitioners suffer in China.

Background:

Doctor Charles Li is a U.S. citizen and a resident of Menlo Park, California. On January 22 2003, he travelled to China to celebrate the Chinese New Year with his parents, and was arrested by Chinese police at Guangzhou airport. Charles Li was charged with sabotaging T.V. and/or radio equipment, and is scheduled to be put on trial on March 21, Beijing time. When meeting with a US Consulate official, Charles Li denied the charges against him, and stated that the reason the Chinese government detained him is because he practises Falun Gong.

Chinese version available at http://www.yuanming.net/articles/200303/18546.html