LONDON [EFGIC] – The historic legal action against Chen Zhili, a Member of the Chinese State Council, has taken a major step forward. The preliminary judgement in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, on August 3 was in favour of the Falun Gong practitioners in Ethiopia, on whose behalf attorneys brought the case.

With the judge’s decision, the civil action has been concluded, clearing the way for a criminal trial. The case is now in the process of being moved to the Chief State Prosecutor’s office.

The case was initiated as a civil action via an affidavit filed on July 19. The affidavit alleges murder and torture of Chinese teachers and students who practise Falun Gong. Chen was Minister of Education from 1998-2003, during which time at least 61 teachers or students were killed for practising Falun Gong.

Chen appeared in front of the judge on July 19, marking the first time any Chinese official responsible for the persecution of Falun Gong has appeared in person at any of the legal actions filed in many countries.

For further information:
Ms. Serene Feng, +27 82-8582050 (in Africa)
Mr. John Nania, +1 612-237-3232 (in North America)

News – August 4, 2004

European Falun Gong Information Centre, www.clearharmony.net

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about), is a practise of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." Practised in over 50 countries world-wide, Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture. With government estimates of as many as 100 million practising Falun Gong, China's Communist leader Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practise in July 1999 (report). Since that time, Jiang's regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practise while imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practise it. The European Falun Gong Information Centre has verified details of 1014 deaths (reports / sources) 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.