(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) practitioners held activities in multiple German cities to mark the 26^th anniversary of their peaceful protesting the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ongoing persecution. Many elected officials addressed the rallies, wrote letters, or gave interviews to express their support for practitioners and admiration for their perseverance in peacefully protesting for so many years. They expressed solidarity with practitioners in working to end the persecution and safeguarding basic human rights.

Fourteen elected officials at various levels of government condemned the persecution of Falun Dafa in China. From left to right: Top row: Michael Gahler, Member of European Parliament (MEP); Frank Börner, MSP of North Rhine-Westphalia; Oliver Stirböck, Member of State Parliament (MSP) of Hesse; and Nicole Höchst, Member of the Federal Parliament (MP). Middle row: Norbert Altenkamp, MP; Dr. Günter Krings, MP; Anne König, MP; Thomas Rachel, MP; and Sascha Herr, MSP for Hesse.Bottom row: Dr. Jonas Geissler, MP; Peter Beyer, MP; Dr. Franziska Kersten, MP; René Domke, MSP of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Dr. Rainer Rothfuß, MP. (Photo composite from official websites)

(Continued from Part 2)

Vice Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights: Standing with Falun Dafa Practitioners

Norbert Altenkamp MP

Norbert Altenkamp, member of the Bundestag of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Vice Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid, wrote a letter of support:

“Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right. For more than a quarter of a century, members of the peaceful spiritual Falun Gong community have been denied this right by China’s communist leadership. Since then, Falun Gong practitioners have been persecuted, imprisoned, re-educated, tortured, and harassed.

“Today, on the anniversary of the persecution of Falun Gong, we stand together with them and with all those who are relentlessly oppressed and deprived of their dignity in China. All religious minorities are affected by these merciless measures.

“The Chinese Communist Party uses inhumane means against all those who do not submit to communist ideology and strive for individual freedom. It targets religious and ethnic minorities, even those who seek and find freedom of spirit in meditation, in Falun Gong. Thousands of them have died since 1999 as a result of the systematic persecution aimed at eradicating Falun Gong forever.

“Human rights are an essential component of the rules-based world order. We stand up for this together here today on this commemoration day. China, therefore, remains called upon to respect and uphold the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the human rights treaties it has signed. The Chinese Communist Party must finally end the suppression and persecution of the peaceful meditation movement Falun Gong.

“The persecution of minorities is not a sign of strength, but of fear and weakness - even of the freedom of people’s minds and thoughts.”

Human Rights Policy Spokesperson of AfD: Protecting Falun Gong in Germany and Around the World

Rainer Rothfuss MP

Dr. Rainer Rothfuss, a member of the Bundestag of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Spokesperson for the AfD on Human Rights Policy, also wrote a letter of support:

“Twenty-six years ago, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began the systematic persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Tens of thousands have been imprisoned, tortured, and killed. This persecution continues to this day. In its persecution of the peaceful and apolitical Falun Gong movement, China’s communist leadership demonstrates regrettable shortsightedness and disproportionate harshness in dealing with a harmless popular movement. Its aim is to enforce its ideology by any means necessary. With the slogan ‘Defame their reputation, ruin them financially, and destroy them physically,’ Party leader Jiang Zemin launched the brutal campaign against Falun Gong on July 20, 1999.

“For many years, there have been allegations that the Chinese government is conducting forced organ harvesting from imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners. A comprehensive 2007 investigative report (Bloody Harvest by Matas and Kilgour) cites thousands of cases. The U.S. Congress and the EU Parliament have passed resolutions on the matter. A new bill to impose harsh sanctions on all those involved in organ harvesting is currently before the U.S. Senate. This is a welcome sign that these victims have not been forgotten—not only in China, but also in other countries around the world.

“We condemn these actions by the CCP and call on its leadership to abide by the human rights treaties it has signed. The people of China want to be treated by their state like citizens of the 21st century—as free legal subjects who want to develop in harmony with their national community. This includes respecting their fundamental human rights, the right to life and physical integrity, to practice religion, and to freedom of expression.

“The persecution of Falun Gong also occurs abroad, indirectly. Shen Yun, the dance show depicting pre-communist Chinese culture, performed in more than 150 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Europe during its 2024/2025 tour. Before numerous performances, the theaters received bomb threats via email and phone. Each time, the theaters were asked to cancel the performances. Security authorities recognized this as a ploy by the Chinese secret service and were able to give the all-clear.

“Only an embarrassing clown from the ZDF, Jan Böhmermann, continued to preach the Chinese government’s propaganda about Falun Gong on German television… It must therefore be our task to work for the comprehensive protection of apolitical, culturally conservative, and patriotic movements in Germany and around the world.”

Member of the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia: Exposing the CCP’s Slander of Falun Dafa

Frank Börner, Member of the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia

Frank Börner spoke at a Falun Dafa practitioners’ rally on July 19 at Düsseldorf, the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Mr. Frank Börner (SPD) is a member of the North Rhine-Westphalia state legislature. He has condemned the CCP’s persecution during Falun Gong rallies numerous times in the past few years. On the day of the event, Mr. Börner attended the rally again. In his speech on July 19, 2025, at Düsseldorf, he said Falun Gong practitioners were persecuted by the CCP just for improving their health. Although practitioners did not cause any harm, they were arrested and tortured. “The CCP government’s persecution is groundless,” he explained. “Stop the persecution immediately, release them [Falun Gong practitioners], and ensure that they return to the international community.”

Mr. Börner also showed a letter sent to him by the Chinese Consulate in Düsseldorf. He said he received the letter after he spoke at the Falun Gong rally last year. The letter slandered Falun Gong and repeated the lies created in mainland China. Congressman Berner said this behavior was stupid, and there were two reasons why he could not reply. “First, there was no address on this letter, so I didn’t know where to send a reply. Second, this letter looked like an intern copied it from the CCP constitution, and there was no substantive content,” he said.

“Maybe they should rewrite the letter so that I can answer it seriously,” Mr. Börner continued. “As long as there are human rights violations in the world - this is especially obvious in China... we must stand up and make our position clear: this [the CCP’s behavior] is not good, and we will not participate in it.”

Hesse State Legislator: The Inner Strength of Falun Gong Practitioners

Sascha Herr from the Hesse State Legislature and his letter.

Sascha Herr, a member of the Hesse State Legislature, wrote a letter to practitioners stating that the CCP government has systematically and harshly suppressed millions of Falun Gong practitioners for more than two decades, without any legal basis and in flagrant violation of basic human rights.

“Numerous international reports and investigations have documented the cruel reality: Falun Gong practitioners are subject to comprehensive surveillance, forced conversion, arbitrary detention, and even violent organ harvesting. This persecution is not only a suppression of a spiritual practice, but also an infringement on universal principles - freedom of belief, freedom of speech, bodily integrity, and human dignity.

“I would like to express my deep respect and sincere appreciation to all Falun Gong practitioners. You are rooted in the belief of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance, and have demonstrated a strong inner strength. With your tenacious spirit and non-violent stance, you defend the fundamental values that are boundless and affect everyone in the world. These fundamental values are not limited to national boundaries. The rights of the people are not a cultural luxury, but are universal – in vibrant democracies as well as in repressive states. Wherever these rights are questioned or undermined, we must defend them.

“In Germany in particular, as a country with a special historical responsibility, we know the consequences of state dictatorship, ideological exclusion, and collective silence. Freedom can never be taken for granted. We must remain vigilant when unpleasant political views and resistance forces are marginalized, discredited, and condemned in the name of morality.

“I thank all those who speak out for freedom of belief, peaceful struggle, and just conscience. We need such people who dare to speak out even in adverse circumstances.

“Let us care together to ensure that the voices of victims are not silenced; let us work together to ensure that international law and human dignity can one day be implemented in places where they are still systematically violated.”

FDP Spokesperson at Hesse State Legislature: Stop the CCP’s Transnational Repression

Hesse State Legislature member Oliver Stirböck.

Oliver Stirböck, a member of the Hesse State Legislature and European policy spokesman for the Free Democratic Party (FDP), said in a recent interview that for decades, the CCP has been persecuting dissidents and those whose behavior does not conform to its requirements. The way the Chinese regime treats Falun Gong clearly shows that it is a terrorist regime that targets the Chinese people.

“As liberal democrats, we have long called for China to restore respect for human rights, including respect for the human rights of Falun Gong,” he added.

Speaking of the CCP’s transnational persecution of dissidents and Falun Gong practitioners, Stirbock explained, “When foreign regimes - not only the CCP regime, but also other regimes - try to exert influence in Germany and the United States, including extremely strong influence through social media, this is of course an attack on a country’s sovereignty. We must all do everything possible to resist this threat, because it is not only a threat to internal security, but also a threat to democracy.

“When faced with (the CCP’s transnational) persecution or intimidation, a country ruled by law must take all possible means, including national security means, such as through the Federal Constitutional Protection Agency, to defend its own rights and interests and take action,” Mr. Stirböck remarked. “Western media have a responsibility to report on the human rights violations that are happening in China. Of course, Western media also have a responsibility to point out China’s attempts to exert influence in Germany, which is an important task. I think more research should be done on this, because the CCP should not influence Western society in the West through the media, social media, or intimidation.

“The peaceful revolution in East Germany in 1989 was great. I believe that the reason it succeeded was because the [communist East German] regime at the time realized that it could not fight the people for a long time,” he continued. “Now, many Chinese are taking this path, that is, withdrawing from the CCP. This is already a peaceful struggle, and it will eventually realize the wish to establish a democratic government in China.

“If China can also succeed like East Germany and break free from the dictatorship, it will be great,” Mr. Stirböck concluded.