Mission to Investigate the Criminal Conduct of Organisations and Individuals Involved in the Persecution of Falun Gong, Begins Outside the United Nations in Geneva

Report from Geneva in Conjunction with the 59th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights

Geneva, Thursday 20 March 2003

For the third time this week, Falun Gong practitioners appealed at the Palais des Nations against the persecution of Falun Gong in China. At least 700 practitioners attended the peaceful event in front of the United Nations building. Representatives from different organisations voiced their support and condemned the extremely serious human rights violations happening in China at present. This appeal followed the news that reports of 38 Falun Gong practitioners being tortured to death in China have been received in the past 12 days.

John Law, President of WOIPFG, reading a press statement from Attorney Terri E. Marsh

In a speech at the press conference, the President of the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, John Law, said that their mission was to investigate the criminal conducts of all institutions, organisations, and individuals involved in the persecution of Falun Gong, no matter how long it takes and no matter how far and deep they have to search, in order to restore and uphold justice.

Commenting on Charles Li, an American Citizen and Falun Gong practitioner who was arrested and could be illegally sentenced to imprisonment 15 years tomorrow because he is a Falun Gong practitioner, Mr. Law said, “Those who persecute Falun Gong are living above the law..This trial that will take place only a few hours from now, will mark a new dark chapter in Jiang´s oppression of Falun Gong. He and the Chinese [regime] are telling the world that they have no respect for their own laws or international laws, and they are telling us that they are willing to throw any of the world’s citizens into an illegal trial.”

Mr. Law stressed that the trial of Charles Li is not a matter for just one citizen from one country but concerns all of the world’s people, and he called upon everyone to respond with a strong voice of condemnation.