Publications, Press Releases
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Epoch Times: German Court Approves Swastika Use
2004-09-22The group retained an attorney and consulted renowned German Sinologist, Professor Rudolf G. Wagner of the University of Heidelberg. In November 2003, the court rendered a verdict of "not guilty" and declared the display of the Falun emblem as legal under German law. The public prosecutor lodged an appeal, but in March 2004 the original judgement was upheld. The Falun symbol can now be legally displayed. -
SFGIC Press Release: Press Conference Regarding Criminal Charges in Sweden Against Jiang Zemin and Live Anti-Torture Exhibition
2004-09-21Swedish Falun Gong practitioners together with their lawyer, Falun Gong practitioner Peter Bergquist, are preparing a lawsuit in Sweden in co-operation with international human rights lawyers Georges-Henri Beauthier of Belgium and William Bourdoun of France. The lawsuit charges Jiang Zemin, former Head of State in China, and other responsible perpetrators in the persecution of Falun Gong for crimes of murder, torture and abduction. -
Finnish Practitioner Interviewed in Chile's "La Tercera" Newspaper
2004-09-21On Monday August the 23rd 2004, La Tercera, one of the largest newspapers in Chile, published an article about Falun Dafa. Pía María Sandas, a Finnish ex-model who's now an executive of the cosmetic company Isadora, is visiting Chile to let people know about the persecution of Falun Dafa in China. -
Russian Times: "Moscow Falun Gong Practitioners' Big Banner"
2004-09-16On September the 8th, on the front page of the "Russian Times”, one of Russia’s largest circulated newspapers, was the photo of a parade with more than one hundred thousand participants. Two huge banners held by practitioners were in the photo, reading “The World Needs Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance”. -
Austria's Herrn Magazine: The Long Arm of Jiang Zemin in Austria
2004-09-13Yong Wang, 32, residing in Austria since 1993, was refused an extension of his passport by the Chinese Consulate in Vienna. The decision from the Consulate was based on his being a Falun Gong practitioner and that he regularly attended candlelight vigils at the Chinese Embassy calling for the end of the persecution of Falun Gong in China. -
Austria: Austrian Media Reports on the Lawsuit Against Jia Qinglin
2004-09-09On September the 1st, one of Austria’s most important newspapers “The Standard” also reported about the lawsuit of Jia Qinglin on the day before he went to see the Austrian Premier and President. The article said that after Falun Gong was banned in China in 1999, hundreds and thousands of practitioners were detained and many of them tortured to death. -
EFGIC: Chinese Government Official Sued in Spain for Crimes of Torture and Genocide
2004-09-06'LONDON [EFGIC]– On September 2nd a criminal lawsuit was filed in the Spanish Courts against Chinese official, Jia Qinglin, accusing him of crimes of genocide and torture against practitioners of the exercise and meditation system of Falun Gong in China...The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are 15 Falun Gong practitioners, who have suffered either directly or indirectly, by way of their family members being persecuted in Beijing, during the time Jia Qinglin was in office.'' -
Press Release: Chinese Consulate in Austria Exerts Pressure
2004-09-05'VIENNA - Yong Wang has lived on a permanent residency status in Austria for more than ten years. He attained a Business Administration Degree in Vienna, is employed as a software developer, and married a native Austrian last year, with whom he had a baby. Unfortunately, the thirty-two year old Austrian of Chinese descent has serious problems: At the beginning of July, he applied for a passport extension at the Chinese Consulate in Vienna, which was refused.' -
Article from Austrian Newspaper “Bezirksblatt”: Why a Chinese Citizen is no Longer Allowed to be Chinese
2004-09-04'The consulate justifies their refusal to extend his passport by saying that he practises and supports Falun Gong. Mr Wang has asked for a written explanation from the consulate but this has been denied so far. Mr Wang would most likely experience confinement to a forced labour camp and torture should he ever decide to return to China. Refusing to issue or prolong passports is often used to make life difficult for Chinese citizens abroad or to force them to return to China. Several cases of refused passport applications have previously cropped up in many European countries and now also in Austria.' -
Epoch Times: Shocking Photographic Evidence of The Persecution in China
2004-09-04It is not the kind of publicity that China wants or needs at the tail-end of the 2004 Olympics in which they placed third overall, and leading into the 2008 Olympics in which Beijing will be host: shocking photographs of emaciated and seriously injured Falun Gong practitioners who were tortured while being illegally held in police custody in China. -
Falun Dafa Information Centre Austria: Press Release Regarding Jia Qinglin's Visit to Austria
2004-09-01During this week, Jia Qinglin, the former party secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and former mayor of the city of Beijing, is visiting Austria for two days. He has been a member of the standing committee of the CCP’s Politburo since 2002. During Jia’s administration, Beijing generated one of the worst records among many cities with respect to the persecution of Falun Gong (see examples below). As the Party’s General Secretary in Beijing, and in his capacity as Central Committee member of the CCP from 1999-2002, Jia Qinglin has been responsible for the persecution. -
EFGIC: Genocide in China: Pictures Beijing Doesn’t Want the World to See Leading Up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics
2004-08-29Athens (EFGIC) – As Athens bids the Games farewell and contemplates a successful and peaceful world event having passed, world pressure must now be put on Beijing to end the persecution of millions of Falun Gong practitioners. Can human rights atrocities being committed, as seen in these accompanying images be allowed to continue without the world uniting to condemn such crimes? -
Article from Swiss Newspaper ‘La Tribune de Genève’: Five years of Persecution for Falun Gong Followers
2004-08-26'In view of the unacceptable rise in violence now extending outside China and aimed directly at practitioners worldwide, will our countries finally react with a greater degree of firmness and prevent such acts from being committed on our soil? Shouldn’t our countries unite to condemn these massive violations through making China understand that in our democratic countries we respect the freedoms of expression and belief?' -
EFGIC: A Picture is Worth a Million Lives
2004-08-25'[EFGIC] – In 1992 media footage showing starving men behind barbwire fences led to global outrage and reaction to ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia. It is long overdue for the media to show the world pictures of what is happening to Falun Gong practitioners in China today.' -
Article from Finnish Newspaper 'Norra Posten': "I found myself through Falun Gong!"
2004-08-24“Falun Gong is a cultivation practice. The body and soul is purified. Besides doing the five powerful and peaceful exercises, the emphasis is on cultivating one’s mind and spirit and improving one’s moral character by following and incorporating the three cornerstones of the practice: Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance into our daily lives.”