Swiss NGO Writes to Hong Kong Authorities about Appeal of 15 Falun Gong Practitioners
To learn more about the September 3rd appeal for the "Obstruction Case", please see http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200309/14819.html The Honourable Elsie Leung Berne, September 2nd 2003 Trial against Falun Gong practitioners Dear Mrs. Leung ACAT-Switzerland (Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture, an
independent human rights NGO affiliated to the international federation FI.ACAT which has a
consultative status at the UN) has been attentively observing the last year's trial against
Falun Gong practitioners in Hong Kong, among them four Swiss nationals Erich Bachmann, Roland
Isenschmid, Lam Duy Quoc and Simone Schlegel-Grunenfelder. With indignation we learned that all defendants were found guilty in August 2002. According to our information the Falun Gong practitioners had held a peaceful and
fully legal sit-in outside the Chinese Liaison Office in Hong Kong. The charges brought against them
don't have any legal foundation according to the Hong Kong legislation still based on the British
legal system. We therefore consider the August 2002 judgment arbitrary and support the
defendants' appeal on the case. We therefore urge the court dealing with the appeal in the next days to
appreciate the facts and evidences strictly from the point of view of the Hong Kong legislation and
to acquit the defendants of all charges. We would like to thank you for your attention and hope that you will intervene to
safeguard fundamental rights in Hong Kong. Yours very respectfully, ACAT-Switzerland
Secretary for Justice
Department of Justice
4th Floor, High Block
Queensway Government Offices
66 Queensway
Hong Kong
[signed]
Bettina RYSER HUANCA
Secretary General
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