Belgium High Court Holds Hearing on the Chinese Communist Regime's Telephone Harassment of Falun Gong Practitioners

On the morning of May 28 2009, the Belgian High Court held a hearing on a telephone harassment case brought by two Belgian Falun Gong practitioners against the Chinese Communist regime's 610 office. Representing the two plaintiffs, internationally renowned human rights lawyer Mr. G. H. Beauthier requested that the Belgian Justice Department take further legal action in investigating this case. He also hoped that the Belgian government would not be affected by the Chinese Communist regime's economic and political influence and would act impartially. The court's pre-trial judge and the public prosecutor both attended the hearing and listened to lawyer's case statements. The judge said that the ruling would be made in the near future.

Belgian High Court in Brussels

Request to Continue the Investigation of the Telephone Harassment Case

In the hearing, human rights lawyer Mr. Beauthier described in great detail the harassment suffered by Falun Gong practitioners and the ongoing brutal persecution by the Chinese Communist regime against Falun Gong practitioners. After the hearing, Mr. Beauthier accepted an interview with reporters at the Belgian High Court in Brussels.

Internationally renowned Belgian human rights lawyer Mr. Beauthier is interviewed by the Belgian National TV station at the Belgian High Court

Mr. Beauthier said, "Falun Gong practitioners in Belgium have been harassed by the Chinese Communist regime. The regime made threats through emails and anonymous telephone calls. Therefore in 2005, we filed a lawsuit demanding that the Chinese Communist regime's '610 Office' stop its harassment. The pre-trial judge requested that the Chinese government investigate the source of these telephone calls because we knew these calls were from China. In these phone calls, the caller threatened and intimidated recipients with noises and insults. The Belgian government received no reply from the Chinese regime."

He pointed out, "Today through the Belgian judicial system we request that the Belgian government continue to demand answers from the Chinese Communist regime. We request that the public prosecutor expand the scope of its investigation. Because there are new telephone harassments threatening Falun Gong practitioners in Belgium, it needs to be investigated. The Chinese Communist regime threatens dissidents in Europe and China, but it doesn't get punished. This is a very serious matter."

When mentioning the human rights situation in China, Mr. Beauthier said, "The Chinese Communist regime continues to abuse human rights in China at will. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch provide indisputable reports about the Chinese Communist regime's violations of human rights. Now it threatens Belgian and Chinese people in Europe who defend human rights. Therefore the situation has become more and more serious. Thus we couldn't let them escape legal punishment in Europe. From the Tiananmen massacre twenty years ago to the suppression of Falun Gong started ten years ago, we see suppression escalating step by step in China. This is very worrying. Thus we have to continuously condemn the '610 Office' and expose every wicked action taken by the Chinese Communist regime to harass dissidents."

Falun Gong Practitioners Demand an End to the Persecution

As one of the plaintiffs, Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Shi said after the hearing that this year is the tenth year of the persecution of Falun Gong. It is of great significance that at this time the hearing is being held about the telephone harassment and the Belgian Justice Department is requested to continue its investigation. The persecution by the Chinese Communist regime has no legal basis whatsoever. Not only does it violate Belgian laws, it also infringes on international laws.

She said, "The hearing of this case today exposes the evil persecution. Even as a Belgian citizen, I still receive such harassment in Belgium. It can be easily imagined the persecution suffered by tens of thousands Falun Gong practitioners in China. Now the Belgian government and the international community must make joint efforts to stop the Chinese Communist regime's persecution of Falun Gong as soon as possible and to bring those responsible to justice."

Regarding the case's progress, she said that the Belgian Justice Department should continuously raise the issue with the Chinese Communist regime. She also hopes that the Belgian government will not be influenced by the Chinese Communist regime's economic and political interests.

One of the plaintiffs, Falun Gong practitioner Nicolas, is interviewed by the Belgian National TV station at the Belgian High Court

Another plaintiff, Falun Gong practitioner Nicolas said, "As a Belgian citizen and the victim of harassment, this is a very good example to illustrate how the Chinese Communist regime totally ignores the law and human rights. It is important to let the public know that the regime's persecution is so rampant."

He continued, "We hope the Belgian judicial system will firmly and continuously investigate the Chinese Communist regime. We can't let such a brutal regime act at its will, no matter if it is in China or elsewhere. The regime harasses Falun Gong practitioners, spreads its propaganda and sends out virus-carrying emails. These are all unacceptable. We hope the Belgian Court will take action. The facts are very clear. What is needed is action."

Background of the Case

In July 1999, the Chinese Communist regime started its nationwide illegal suppression of Falun Gong in China. At the same time, the persecution was also extended overseas. The regime uses various ways to harass and threaten overseas Falun Gong practitioners. Especially during the period between late 2004 and early 2005, the regime carried out telephone harassment against many overseas Falun Gong practitioners.

On July 19, 2005, two Belgian Falun Gong practitioners, Mr. Nicolas and Ms. Shi, filed a lawsuit in the Belgian High Court, suing, for the crime of harassment, the Chinese Communist regime's 610 Office and its main officials, including Luo Gan, the regime's head of the Central Political and Legislative Committee, Zhou Yongkang, minister of Public Security Liu Jing, deputy minister of Public Security, and Xu Yongyue, minister of State Security.

The "610 Office" was established in June 1999 by the Chinese Communist regime with the sole mission of cracking down on Falun Gong. The organization is above the law and can use the whole nation's resources to recklessly persecute Falun Gong practitioners.

The Belgian High Court officially accepted the case then and immediately started its investigation. After completing the domestic investigation in Belgium, the Belgian Justice Department requested that the Belgian Government seek the Chinese Communist regime's assistance in investigating the source of the harassing phone calls. But it never received any response from the Chinese authorities.

Currently the Spanish High Court is also carrying out an investigation into the Chinese Communist regime's persecution of Falun Gong. In 2003 Falun Gong practitioners filed a lawsuit in Spain against Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party, and Luo Gan, accusing them with the crime of genocide and torture against Falun Gong practitioners. In 2004 when Chinese Communist Party official Jia Qinglin visited Spain, Falun Gong practitioners also filed a lawsuit accusing him of torture and crimes against humanity.

In addition, in early May this year, Spanish National Court judge Santiago Pedraz formally requested from the Chinese Communist regime, permission to enter China to investigate eight suspects involved in the crime of genocide regarding the regime's human rights abuse in Tibet. These suspects include China's Minister of Public Security, Minister of State Security and Minister of Defence, etc. The lawsuit was filed by a Tibetan group in Spain in July 2008, accusing the Chinese Communist regime of the crime of genocide during the regime's suppression in Tibet in March 2008.