FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- December 9, 2002 [ http://www.clearharmony.net/ ]

PARIS, 9 December, 2002 (European Falun Gong Information Centre) -- On December 4th, William Bourdon and Georges-Henri Beauthier, two human rights lawyers renowned for their trials against Chilean dictator Pinochet in Belgium and France, filed a suit for crimes of torture at the Court of Nice against Li Lanqing. The Chinese Vice-Premier was then on an unofficial visit in France. The plaintiffs are four FalunáGong practitioners, including two French women. The complaint was based on the UN Convention Against Torture, which France signed in 1984 and which allows it to arrest and prosecute any person guilty of torture. It is the first time in Europe that a Chinese leader has faced such a complaint.

On Tuesday, December 10th, International Human Rights Day, a press conference will be held in the presence of Mr. Beauthier, Mr Bourdon and three of the victims who filed the complaint. It will be held at 3 p.m. at 156, rue de Rivoli - 75001 Paris.

In June 1999, Li Lanqing was personally asked by former Party Leader Jiang Zemin to head the "610 Office", which is primarily responsible for the massive and violent persecution of FalunáGong. This special unit has the express permission to act outside the law and against human dignity.

Since July 1999, the orders issued by the 610 Office, under responsibility of Li Lanqing, have led to thousands of deaths, over 500 of which have been documented by international human rights organisations. More than 100,000 people have been arrested, illegally sent to forced labour camps, and often tortured. Thousands have been subjected to damaging psychiatric treatment and sexual abuse. Millions of people are being terrorised in their daily lives: public humiliation, being fired from their jobs, kicked out of their homes and schools, extortion, forced divorces and abortions, and being forced to abandon their homes to avoid further persecution. In France, the four people who have filed the complaint against Li Lanqing are:

  • Chen Zhumei, a Chinese woman living in France. While appealing in China against the persecution of Falun Gong in July 2000, she was arrested, imprisoned and wildly beaten. Her arm was broken and to this day she remains handicapped;
  • Hél ne Petit, a French woman who took part in a peaceful appeal on Tian'anmen in Beijing in November 2001. She was arrested, detained and beaten;
  • Zhao Ming, a Chinese computer science student in Trinity College, Dublin, who was detained for more than two years in different forced labour camps and subject to continuous physical and mental torture;
  • Wang Yuzhi, a Chinese woman who was tortured in China. She escaped to the United Arab Emirates and was threatened with deportation back to China. She was rescued by the Canadian Government.

Such an absurd and inhuman repression targets completely peaceful people that pose a threat to no one, simply because they practice Falun Gong and because some Chinese officials felt jealous of the popularity of this traditional Qigong method which was practised by over 70 million people in 1999.

Through this lawsuit we are calling on the international community to awaken to the vicious nature of this repression. With the help of our lawyers, we will continue to use all legal means until Chinese officials directly responsible for the crimes committed against Falun Gong are condemned and punished by international justice. History must not let these horrific and large-scale crimes against humankind go unchecked.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE EUROPEAN FALUN GONG INFORMATION CENTRE-Contact: Dominique Soufachéá: +33-6.09.69.37.02 - Nicolas Schols? +32.479.875.734 Hél ne Petit? +33-6.22.45.63.81 Peter Jauhal 44 (0) 7719 172 452. More contacts. http://www.falungonginfo.net/europe.htm Email: europe@falungonginfo.net Website: http://www.clearharmony.net/