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An Overview of Legal Cases Filed by Falun Gong Practitioners Around the World
(Clearwisdom.net) Jiang Zemin and his followers have persecuted Falun Gong for four years, and
have taken the precious lives of at least 901 good, innocent Falun Gong
practitioners. Over one hundred million Falun Gong practitioners who practice
"Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance" along with their family members
have been brutally persecuted. In addition, Jiang's group has also extended the
persecution to overseas countries, creating different degrees of damage to Falun
Gong practitioners in many Western countries. This bloody persecution is the
biggest human rights disaster at the turn of the century. In order to maintain justice for the human world and to stop the evil
persecution, Falun Gong practitioners in different countries have filed lawsuits
against Jiang and the lawless personnel who have persecuted Falun Gong. What is
awaiting Jiang's group is judgment and punishment according to the law. Falun Gong practitioners do not get involved with politics, so we do not get
involved with political parties, political power, or political systems. There is
an old saying: "Each grievance has its root cause and each debt has its
creditor." Everyone should be
responsible for his or her own actions. Anyone who has committed crimes by
taking part in this persecution against Falun Gong will not be able to escape
justice by hiding behind political parties, power, political systems, or even
superiors' orders. The Dafa practitioners' lawsuits target everyone who have
either initiated or participated in this persecution. The following is an overview of legal cases filed by Falun Gong practitioners
around the world. 1. August 29, 2000, Jiang Zemin, Zeng Qinghong and Luo Gan Sued in Beijing In August 2000 two Falun Gong practitioners from Beijing and Hong Kong, Wang
Jie and Zhu Keming, attempted to file a case with the Supreme People's
Procuratorate of China against Jiang Zemin (then President of PRC), Zeng
Qinghong (Head of Organization Department of the Communist Party of China) and
Luo Gan (Secretary of the Central Commission of Political Science and Law, Head
of the Central "610 Office" [an agency specifically created to
persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in
the Party and all other political and judiciary systems]) for illegally
persecuting Falun Gong. The two practitioners asked the Supreme People's
Procuratorate to prosecute Jiang, Zeng, and Luo on six different charges. 2. July 17, 2001, Zhao Zhifei Sued in the United States and Found Guilty on
December 21, 2001 Zhao Zhifei, Head of the Public Security Office of Hubei Province (Chief of
Police) and Second in Command of the "610 Office" of Hubei Province,
was served on July 17, 2001, in New York City during a visit to the United
States. Human rights lawyer Mr. Carey R. D'Avino filed a lawsuit against Zhao on
behalf of the plaintiff, Peng Min's (deceased) and Li Yingxiu's (deceased)
immediate family member, Peng Liang. The complaint charged Zhao with wrongful
death, torture, crimes against humanity, and other gross violations of
international human rights law against Falun Dafa practitioners in his home
province of Hubei. The United States District Court of the Southern District of
New York handed the complaint to Mr. Zhao at 11:20 p.m., July 17, in the lobby
of the Manhattan Plaza Hotel. On December 21, 2001 United States District Court Judge Denise Cote entered a
default judgment against Zhao Zhifei. Zhao lost in the civil lawsuit, which
seeks $50 million in damages. 3. November 2001, Slander and Hate Case of the Chinese Newspaper "Les
Presses Chinoises" More than two hundred Canadian Falun Gong practitioners filed a civil action
with the Quebec Superior Court against Les Presses Chinoises for libel
and incitement of hatred. On November 3, 2001 slanderous articles using false
and disreputable words were published in Les Presses Chinoises and were
used to attack Falun Gong. The paper continued to publish dozens of articles
slandering and defaming Falun Gong to incite hatred against Falun Gong. Most of
the misinformation used by the newspaper is identical to the propaganda
originating in Mainland China. The first court session began on December 10, 2001, and the judge issued an
injunction prohibiting the paper from publishing similar content in the future. On February 2, 2002, despite the injunction, Les Presses Chinoises
published a 12-page special edition, in which the head of the newspaper wrote an
article calling for society to sign up to "denounce" Falun Gong. That
person was subsequently charged with contempt of court. The final session of the Les Presses Chinoises hate-incitement trial
began on November 10, 2003. All court testimony was finished by November 27,
2003. After more than two years of legal proceedings, the Quebec Superior Court
will reach a verdict upon hearing final legal arguments from lawyers of both
sides between February 23 and February 25, 2004. The time for verdict of the
case of contempt of court is to be determined. 4. December 19, 2001, Sing Tao Daily Sued for Libel, Slander, Negligence, and
Incitement of Hatred On December 19, 2001, one hundred and fifty-six Falun Gong practitioners
filed a lawsuit in Ontario Superior Court of Justice against Canada's largest
Chinese language newspaper, the Sing Tao Daily, for libel, slander,
negligence, and incitement of hatred. Practitioners also demanded a published
front-page apology and refraining from publishing similar articles in the
future. 5. August 27, 2001, Zhou Yongkang Sued in the United States Zhou Yongkang, former General Secretary of the Provincial Committee of the
Chinese Communist Party of Sichuan Province, was sued during his visit to
Illinois. Falun Gong practitioner He Haiying, 36, a Chinese exile living in
Boston, placed the complaint in Zhou's hands, human rights attorney Terri Marsh
said. Among charges listed in the complaint filed in federal court in Chicago
are torture, cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment, crimes against humanity,
and false imprisonment. Zhou was being targeted under the Torture Victims
Protection Act and the Alien Tort Claims Act. The legislation gives US courts
jurisdiction over acts of torture committed outside the country, but a suit can
only proceed if defendants are served with legal papers while in the United
States. Based on this lawsuit, next time Zhou sets foot on U.S. soil, he will be
brought to trial. 6. February 2, 2002, Liu Qi and Xia Deren Sued in the United States and Found
Guilty in June 2003 On February 7, 2001, Liu Qi, Mayor of Beijing and also president of the
Beijing Organizing Committee of the 2008 Olympic Games, was served with a
lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Northern California, for overseeing
persecution against human rights and seriously trampling China and overseas
Falun Gong practitioners' human rights. The suit charges Liu with "torture,
cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment, arbitrary detention, crimes against
humanity, and interference with freedom of religion and belief." The Center
for Justice and Accountability, an organization that represents victims of grave
human rights abuse, filed the civil complaint with the U.S. District Court in
San Francisco on February 7, 2001. The complaint was then served on Mr. Liu
later that evening at the San Francisco International Airport before he boarded
a flight to attend festivities at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Meanwhile, Xia Deren, then Deputy Provincial Governor of Liaoning Province,
was also sued. On June 11, 2003, a U.S. Magistrate Judge, Edward M. Chen, denied foreign
sovereign immunity to former Beijing Mayor and current Beijing Party Secretary,
Liu Qi, and Deputy Provincial Governor of Liaoning Province, Xia Deren. Through
this ruling, he made it clear that individuals that are responsible for gross
violations of human rights may be subject to prosecution regardless of their
official rank. Because of their similarities, the two cases that were submitted
at different times were merged into one. In a report Judge Chen submitted to the
court, both Chinese officials were found guilty of overseeing the torture of
Falun Gong practitioners. 7. April 3, 2002, China Ministry of State Security, China Ministry of Public
Security, and China Central Television Sued in the United States On April 3, 2002 over fifty American Falun Gong practitioners filed a civil
action with the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
against China's Ministry of State Security, China's Ministry of Public Security,
and Chinese Central Television. China's Ministry of State Security and Ministry
of Public Security were charged with using Chinese Embassy and Consulate
officials for hiring thugs to engage in criminal gang activities committed in
the United States, which directly violated and deprived Falun Gong
practitioners' proper rights and freedom as American citizens and residents. 8. May 23, 2002, China Press and Sing Tao Daily Sued for Slander and Inciting
Hatred Residents of New York City, together with the non-profit organization Friends
of Falun Gong, filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court, seeking an
end to the hate and slander put forth by the New York-area Chinese language
newspapers, China Press and the Hong Kong-based newspaper, Sing Tao
Daily. 9. October 17, 2002, Jiang Zemin, Zeng Qinghong, and Luo Gan Sued in UN On October 18, 2002, citizens and residents from Canada, the U.S., France,
Australia, Ireland, Hong Kong, and China jointly submitted Communications
against then China's Communist Party leader Jiang Zemin, Zeng Qinghong, and Luo
Gan to the United Nations Committee Against Torture, the United Nations Human
Rights Committee, and the International Criminal Court for crimes committed in
instigating and carrying out the brutal persecution of Falun Gong. 10. October 22, 2002, Jiang Zemin Sued in the United States On October 18, 2002, when Jiang was visiting Chicago, Falun Gong
practitioners filed a lawsuit in the Northern District Court of Illinois against
Jiang Zemin for torture, genocide, and other crimes against humanity. On June 12, 2003, as "friends of the court," thirty-eight members
of the US Congress filed an amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs. On January 20, 2004, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in Chicago
accepted the case against Jiang Zemin filed by Falun Gong practitioners in
Chicago. 11. December 4, 2002, Li Lanqing Sued in France Four Falun Gong practitioners from France, Ireland, and Canada, through
well-known human rights lawyers Georges-Henri Beauthier (France) and William
Bourdon (Belgium), launched legal action based on related legal regulations in
the UN and France against Li Lanqing, who was China's First Vice Premier, a
former member of the Chinese Communist Party's Standing Committee, and, along
with Luo Gan, Head of the Central "610 Office." The charges were for
the torture of Falun Gong practitioners in China. The four plaintiffs were
French citizen Irena Petty, French resident Chen Zhu-mei, Ireland resident Zhao
Ming, and Canadian resident Wang Yu-zhi. The French criminal court began legal proceedings on the case in July 2003. 12. August 2003, Chinese Deputy Consul General Sued and Later Found Guilty on
February 3, 2004, in Canadian Court for Libel against Falun Gong Practitioners On May 1, 2003, in a letter that appeared in The Toronto Star, Chinese
Deputy Consul General, Pan Xinchun viciously attacked Canadian real estate agent
and Falun Gong practitioner Joel Chipkar and other Falun Gong practitioners, and
labeled Joel Chipkar and Falun Gong practitioners as being members of a
"sinister cult." In August 2003 Mr. Chipkar filed a libel lawsuit
against Pan Xinchun in the Ontario Superior Court. On February 3, 2004 the Ontario Superior Court began proceedings for the
lawsuit filed by Mr. Chipkar against the Deputy Consul General of China in
Toronto, Pan Xinchun. Defendant Pan Xinchun was convicted of libel. Justice
Spiegel granted the judgment in absence of the defendant and ordered the
defendant to compensate for losses he caused to the plaintiff. 13. August 20, 2003, Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, and Li Lanqing Sued in Belgium On August 20, 2003 six Falun Gong practitioners filed a criminal lawsuit in
Brussels, Belgium through their legal counsel Mr. Georges-Henri Beauthier. The
lawsuit charges former Chinese Communist leader Jiang Zemin and two of his
senior aides: Luo Gan and Li Lanqing (heads of the Central "610
Office"), with genocide, torture, and crimes against humanity.?/P>
14. September 8, 11, 16 and 18, 2003, Luo Gan Sued in Four European Countries
for Torture and Genocide Luo Gan was the head of the Central "610 Office" and a central
figure in carrying out the suppression and persecution against Falun Gong. In
September 2003, when Luo Gan was on a tour of four European nations, Falun Gong
practitioners filed criminal lawsuits against him and charged him with genocide
and torture. On September 8, 2003, on behalf of Falun Gong practitioners and their family
members, Ragnar Adalsteinsson, a renowned Icelandic human rights lawyer, filed
the action with the State Criminal Prosecutor, Bogi Nilsson. The lawsuit charged
Luo Gan with torture, genocide, and crimes against humanity. On the morning of September 11, 2003, Mr. Erkki Kannisto, a renowned human
rights lawyer, represented Falun Gong practitioners and filed the complaint with
the Chief Prosecutor's Office and a police station in Helsinki, Finland. The
lawsuit charges Luo Gan with torture and genocide. On September 16, 2003 Falun Gong practitioners filed a lawsuit at the court
of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, suing Luo Gan for the crimes of torture and
genocide. On September 18 the international human rights organization World
Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, The Committee
for Global Action in Rescuing Family Members, and European/St. Petersburg
Falun Dafa Associations filed a class action lawsuit charging Luo Gan
with torture, genocide, and other crimes. Representatives from these
organizations filed a lawsuit with Moldova's Prosecutor General in the capital
city Chisinau during Luo Gan's visit to Moldova. 15. October 15, 2003, Jiang Zemin and Luo Gan Sued in Spain On October 15, 2003 fifteen Falun Gong practitioners from the United States,
Australia, Belgium, and Spain filed a criminal lawsuit with Spain's High Court,
charging former Chinese leader, Jiang Zemin, and Chinese Communist Party
Politburo member, Luo Gan, with directing genocide and torture of Falun Gong
practitioners. 16. October 27, 2003, Wu Guanzheng Sued in Cyprus On October 27, 2003, Cyprus human rights attorney Mr. Laris Vrahimis,
representing persecuted Falun Dafa practitioners, filed a civil lawsuit against
Wu Guanzheng, former Provincial Secretary of Shandong Province and current
member of Chinese Communist Party Politburo's Standing Committee, who has
overseen persecution of Falun Gong, for torture, genocide, and crimes against
humanity. 17. November 17, 2003, Jiang Zemin, Li Lanqing, and Luo Gan Sued in Taiwan On November 17, 2003 seven Taiwanese Falun Gong practitioners filed a
criminal complaint with the Taiwan Superior Court against former President of
China, Jiang Zemin, former Premier of China State Council, Li Lanqing, and
Chinese Communist Party Politburo member, Luo Gan, for the crime of genocide,
which violated Taiwan's Genocide Penal Code. 18. November 21, 2003, Jiang Zemin and 16 Other High-ranking Chinese Leaders
Responsible for the Persecution of Falun Gong Practitioners Sued in Germany Lawyer Wolfgang Kaleck from Berlin, known as a representative for German
victims of the Argentine armed forces Junta, represented the German Falun Dafa
Association and forty Falun Gong practitioners from Germany, China, the United
States, Canada, Australia, and Ireland and filed a lawsuit with the Federal
Prosecutor in Karlsruhe, Germany, against former President of China Jiang Zemin
and other senior officials and personnel responsible for the persecution of
Falun Gong practitioners in China, charging them with genocide, crimes against
humanity, and torture, as well as dangerous bodily harm to Falun Gong
practitioners in China. The accused include: 19. November 26, 2003, the Global Coalition to Bring Jiang Zemin to Justice
Submitted Request to the Hague International Court and Requested to Investigate
and Try Jiang Zemin The Global Coalition to Bring Jiang Zemin to Justice held a rally outside the
Hague International Court. The coalition submitted printed materials about the
lawsuit against Jiang from different countries to the first judge of the
International Court and requested to try Jiang. 20. December 26, 2003, Jiang Zemin and Luo Gan Sued in Korea On behalf of Falun Gong practitioners in Korea, the head of the Korean Falun
Dafa Association, Mr. Quan Hongda, announced the filing of a lawsuit against
Jiang Zemin and Head of "610 Office" Luo Gan on charges of genocide.
The filing procedure has been completed and the Seoul Local Court has formally
accepted the genocide lawsuit against Jiang Zemin and Luo Gan. 21. January 2004, Jiang Zemin and 45 Cohorts on Canada's RCMP Watchlist For
Persecuting Falun Gong The Falun Dafa Association of Canada submitted the names of 45 people
including China's former Chairman Jiang Zemin, Li Lanqing, Luo Gan, Wang Maolin,
Liu Jing, other well-known party leaders and forced labor camp personnel, along
with evidence of their crimes to the officials in the Crimes Against Humanity
and War Crimes Program (CAHWCP). The names have been added to the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) watchlist. If anyone on the list attempts to
enter Canada, a prompt investigation could take place, potentially resulting in
refusal of visas to Canada, cancellation of their Canadian citizenship,
deportation, charges, and even punishment based on Canada's laws governing
crimes against humanity and war crimes. 22. January 28, 2004, China Culture Minister Sued in France for
"Incitement of Massacre and Persecution" Four Falun Gong practitioners filed a lawsuit against the visiting Chinese
Culture Minister, Sun Jiazheng, in the Paris prosecutor's office. The complaint
said that Sun Jiazheng, who is China Culture Minister and co-chairman of the Web
Culture Engineering Organizing Committee, instigated public criticism and
incited hatred of Falun Gong in order to eradicate Falun Gong through the use of
newspapers, Internet, and cultural exhibits. He is an accomplice of crimes of
torture and is guilty of "incitement of massacre and persecution." We Falun Dafa practitioners will do our best to process these legal cases
until all who have taken part in the persecution are brought to justice. (Also refer to: http://www.bjtj.org/ for more information.)
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