Press Release: Belgian Falun Gong Practitioners Request the European Court of Human Rights to Investigate the Crimes Committed by Jiang Zemin During his Persecution of Falun Gong in China

In 1999, Jiang Zemin, the former Chinese state leader, started a campaign of genocide, persecution and defamation against Falun Gong and Falun Gong practitioners. He declared that he wanted to “completely destroy" Falun Gong practitioners and to “defame them, ruin them financially and eliminate them physically”.

In a continued effort to stop this persecution, Falun Gong practitioners have filed complaints against Jiang Zemin and his accomplices on charges of genocide, persecution and torture in the US, France, Belgium, Iceland, Finland, Moldavia, Armenia, Taiwan, Spain and Germany. Complaints are also being prepared in the UK, Denmark, Ireland, Switzerland and Australia.

In August 2003, six Falun Gong practitioners in Brussels filed a complaint against Jiang Zemin and two of his accomplices. Some weeks later, the Belgian federal prosecutor declared that they could not accept this complaint, claiming that the Belgian plaintiffs cannot claim to have been victims of serious human rights violations. Under current Belgian laws and procedures it is not possible to appeal against this decision in Belgium, even if the plaintiffs consider the decision incorrect. Therefore the plaintiffs have decided to appeal at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Through this, we ask for the right to expose the crimes that have been committed against Belgian and other Falun Gong practitioners during the persecution, and to hold the accused accountable for their crimes.

Georges-Henri Beauthier, the plaintiffs' lawyer, will clarify the appeal to the European Court of Human Rights and a number of distinguished members of the European Parliament, together with a representative from the WOIPFG (World Organization to Investigate the persecution of Falun Gong) when they present a statement of support in the presence of some of the plaintiffs on Wednesday at 2.30 PM in ‘Club de la Presse’ in Strasbourg [76 Allee de la Robertsau, near the European Council].

Belgian, Dutch, French and German Falun Gong practitioners will also hold a peaceful demonstration from 10.00 AM to 1.30 PM in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg [Crossing ‘boulevard de Dresdes’ and ‘rue Lucien Fèbvre’] between 2.00 PM and 5.30 PM in front of the European Court of Human Rights.

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Background

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance. It is a practice that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture, but it is distinct and separate from other practices such as the religions of Buddhism and Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China, and is now practiced in over 50 countries.

With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, Chinas then-Communist leader, Jiang Zemin, outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999, fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the Communist Party. Unable to crush the spirit of millions who had experienced improved health and positive life changes from Falun Gong, Jiangs regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it. To that end, Jiang established the 6-10 Office, a Gestapo-like agency spanning from the Central Government to the local governments. The United States Congress has described the 6-10 Office as an agency charged with overseeing the persecution of Falun Gong members through organised brainwashing, torture, and murder.

The European Falun Gong Information Centre has verified details of 827 deaths since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. In October 2001, however, Government officials inside China reported that the actual death toll was well over 1,600. Expert sources now estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labour camps, typically without trial.