Russia: Police Illegally Detain Falun Gong Practitioners

On June 30th, 2006, at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, Moscow Falun Gong practitioners held a peaceful protest at the Chinese Embassy against the CCP's trade in organs harvested from living Falun Gong practitioners. When the first group of practitioners arrived, the police were already standing there waiting for them. One guy, a secret agent, stopped the practitioners and asked them to keep away from the Embassy. His explanation was that the local government did not agree with this protest.

Practitioners talked to the police and told them that a genocide is happening right now inside China, and asked them how they can take this issue so lightly. The police said, “We know Falun Gong. We know Falun Gong practitioners are good. But we had to do what we had been ordered to do, so you must leave here, but you can challenge the government’s decision.”

Police released practitioners after illegally detaining them

According to Russian law, the citizen has the freedom to protest here, only needing to declare to the relative authority. Falun Gong practitioners have repeatedly applied to legally protest in front of Chinese Embassy for two years, but the local government didn’t issue the permission under pressure from the CCP. Falun Gong practitioners have tried twice to apply for the permission to the relative authorities, but been rejected. In the end, the practitioners decide to carry on the activities in front of the Chinese Embassy, this is a right for every citizen.

First group of practitioners illegally detained

Second group of practitioners unfurl a banner

Police detained the first group of practitioners. When the second group of practitioners unfurled the banner, police also illegally detained them. Practitioners were driven to the police station and put into a cell. In the end, all practitioners were released.

The Chairman of the Moscow Falun Dafa Association, Mr. Ivan Shikaqiuk, read a statement. He said, “The person from the secret agency didn’t allow us to carry out the protest, they said this is the local government’s decision. What we had done is absolutely following the law, and righteous. According to the law, we can do any protest after a declaration; we don’t need to get permission from any authorities. But the local government ignored the law; they warned us that they would detain us if we carried out the protest. No matter what they do, we are fulfilling our citizen’s civil rights. The purpose of the protest is to stop the genocide in China; any person would do as we do. The Russian people should show our attitude towards the CCP genocide. What we do is not only for others, but for Russian people. If everyone had this kind attitude, what happened today won’t happen again. We believe people would understand and support us. We were using the law to get our rights back".

Sofiya Rashitovna Dorinskaya, The Chairman of Russian Citizen Human Rights Committee, gave a speech, saying, “What happened today is infringing civil rights. The Police’s action was illegal. We must report these incidents to president Putin. We will use the law to solve this.”

Valeriy Nikoliskny, Hersikee Human Rights Protection Organisation representative also said, “What happened today seriously damaged democracy in our country. It tramples on human rights.”