26 years of persecution of Falun Gong practitioners (July 20)

The systematic persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China began on July 20, 1999, after the theistic and state-independent movement had become increasingly popular and influential over the years. On this occasion, the Society for Threatened Peoples would like to draw attention to the ongoing repression through the Chinese regime: “The persecution of Falun Gong practitioners is an ongoing crime, committed by the state, causing suffering every day – even beyond the China’s borders,” stated Jasna Causevic, STP expert on genocide prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, in Göttingen today. Falun Gong practitioners are still arbitrarily arrested, tortured, sentenced to long prison terms, and subjected to forced labor and organ harvesting: “According to the U.S. Department of State, at least 188 Falun Gong practitioners died as a result of the repression in 2023 alone. A total number of 5,238 deaths are documented – but the number of unreported cases is likely to be far higher,” Causevic added.

Further, China is increasingly putting pressure on its internal opponents across state borders: “Falun Gong practitioners and their family members all over the world are monitored, intimidated, and attacked by means of targeted disinformation campaigns. This is a threat to fundamental democratic rights and the rule of law – even in Europe,” Causevic emphasized. The case of farmer Ding Yuande from the Chinese province of Shandong is especially shocking: In 2023, he was sentenced to three years in prison – only because of his religious beliefs – and has since been kept detained, subjected to torture, brainwashing, and forced labor. His son, human rights activist Ding Lebin, is harassed by the Chinese regime, although he lives in Germany.

“Show trials like in the case of Ding Yuande are a manifestation of a ruthless will to destroy,” Causevic said. “The German Federal Government and the EU must prosecute transnational repression and advocate for an independent investigation into the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners – also with regard to other groups of victims such as Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Christians.”

The STP welcomes the resolution of the European Parliament (2024/2504(RSP)) and the U.S. Falun Gong Protection Act (H.R.1540) for the protection of Falun Gong, but calls for further measures. “Every second that this crime continues is an unbearable burden on humanity. The perpetrators must not go unpunished,” Causevic concluded.

Thus, the STP calls for the immediate release of all detainees and for an end to the transnational repression. China must be held accountable with regard to its human rights obligations.