AFP: Iceland govt reprimanded over Falun Gong blacklist

Friday, 06-Jun-2003 9:20AM Story from AFP

REYKJAVIK, June 6 (AFP) - The Icelandic government was told on Friday that it acted unlawfully when it blacklisted members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement ahead of the state visit of Chinese president Jiang Zemin to Iceland a year ago.

The Icelandic Data Protection Authority on Friday reprimanded the justice ministry following a complaint from a Canadian citizen who found he could not enter Iceland during the visit.

Human rights lawyer Ragnar Adalsteinsson, acting on behalf of Xun Li, a Canadian, told AFP he would ask the justice ministry to issue an official apology, or he would bring further legal action.

Strict security measures were taken in connection with Jiang's visit between June 13 and 16 last year.

Among them was distribution of lists to Icelandair airline as well as Icelandic embassies in Europe and America.

The lists were of suspected members of Falun Gong, [...].

At the time, the "blacklisting" of supposedly peaceful protestors was harshly criticized by Icelandic human rights activists, who accused Icelandic authorities of cooperation with the Chinese regime.

Several Falun Gong members on the list were denied visas, air tickets or seats on aircraft, and some were turned back at Iceland's international airport.

The United States also complained to Reykjavik last June after five of its US citizens were among a group of some 70 Falun Gong followers who were detained.

However, about a hundred members of the group managed to enter Iceland and protested without incidence during the Chinese president's stay.

Xun Li had earlier complained to the Icelandic embassy in Ottawa, saying this was "the first time a government other than that of China uses a 'blacklist' to block law-abiding citizens from entering their country."

The Data Protection Authority said the Icelandic police was justified in keeping a list of Falun Gong as possible trouble-makers during the state visit.

However, it declared the distribution of the list to Icelandair and the embassies to be unlawful.

Adalsteinsson told AFP that discussions between Falun Gong members and Icelandic authorities had been initiated last year, but that Reykjavik had recently been stone-walling Falun Gong.

"If the Icelandic government doesn't react to this decision by an Icelandic Authority, by accepting it was mistaken, my client will take this case further, " he said. "Many people were deprived of their freedom and some of them suffered financial damages. They are still seeking a peaceful but a just solution."

http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/ab/Qiceland-china-Falun Gong.Rpbp_Du6.html