LONDON [EFGIC] - Xiong Wei, a 33 year-old employee of a German company, returned to Germany today after 2 years of illegal detention in China. Ms Wei, a former student at Berlin Technical University, was arrested by the authorities in January 2002 whilst working in China for her German employers, simply because she practised Falun Gong.

She was subsequently sent to Xinan Women’s Labour Camp where she was held until January 2004 when she was released only to be further detained and monitored under house arrest in Beijing.

This morning she flew back to Germany to be greeted by friends and supporters who had campaigned for her release. One of the campaigners present at the airport to meet her was Mr Man Yan Ng who said, “It’s great that due to international pressure and support for the campaign from the German authorities and public as well as human rights organizations that she is finally free.”

Xiong Wei appeared in good spirits despite her ordeal and attempts to brainwash her during her detention.

For further details, please contact Mrs Waltraud Ng in Germany on +49 173 313 5532.

NEWS– Sept. 29, 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 1047 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.