FDI Press Release: German Citizen Detained While Entering Iceland

June 11, 2002

Yesterday, German citizen Peter Recknagel from Frankfurt am Main was detained upon his entry into Iceland.

He is one of the 36 Western Falun Gong practitioners who peacefully demonstrated at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on November 20, 2001. All the participants were arrested; some suffered physical injuries and all were then deported from China.

It is believed that Peter Recknagel's name appeared on a "blacklist" received at the justice ministry in Iceland following a visit by a Chinese official. All persons on this list "are suspected to have ties to Falun Gong," according to the document.

On June 9, 2002, Iceland's newspaper, the Morgunblad, printed an article quoting reliable sources as saying that Chinese government officials had demanded that Iceland deny entry to all Falun Gong practitioners during Jiang's upcoming visit. They additionally demanded that no Falun Gong practitioners or demonstrators be allowed outside the Saga Hotel, Jiang's residence while in Reykjavik.

Later, the Associated Press reported four days ago that Iceland's Ministry of Justice had banned entry to all Falun Gong practitioners prior to Jiang's arrival in Iceland on June 12, 2002.

Voices of Support from Inside Iceland

Falun Gong websites have received numerous e-mails from individuals and also from organizations that disagree with the government's decisions. "This mass-murderer's (Jiang's) visit will not take place without protests [...] they will be peaceful protests!" So wrote a Reykjavik resident. "The ban on Falun Gong followers visiting Iceland is a despicable crime against freedom of speech and freedom of conscience."

According to reports from editorials in the Icelandic media, the citizenry had expected a different approach from their leaders.

Icelandic authorities have already confirmed that official reports from around the world have substantiated the claim that all Falun Gong activities have always been peaceful.

Peaceful Demonstrations -- A Basic Democratic Right

China outlawed Falun Gong in 1999. Since then, practitioners all around the world have staged peaceful demonstrations to appeal to the Chinese government to end the persecution against Falun Gong. Many governments support this endeavor, including the German Federal Government. Mr. Joschka Fischer, Germany's Foreign Minister, specifically demanded in his human rights report that the persecution against Falun Gong must come to an end. In China, where tens of thousands of innocent practitioners are deprived of their constitutional rights to freedom of religion and expression, Falun Gong practitioners never retaliate or show any kind of force, although they are constantly in danger of being abused, mistreated, tortured or even killed.

Andrea Fischer, spokesperson for the German Falun Gong Information Center said, "The pressure Jiang has applied to his Icelandic hosts is a direct affront to basic democratic principles. Besides that, it is the mandate of the governments of all nations to protect the principles of Falun Gong -- Truth, Compassion, Tolerance. This mandate becomes particularly important while facing the head of a government who misuses his powers to torture or kill citizens because of their chosen belief system."

(Original text in German)