(Clearwisdom.net, November 30, 2003) On November the 24th, 2003, several hundred Falun Gong practitioners from countries throughout Europe gathered at Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin to support the lawsuit against Jiang Zemin.
The criminal lawsuit, charging the former Chinese head-of-state with genocide and crimes against humanity was filed with the German Federal Supreme Court by a lawyer on Friday 21st October. Other Chinese officials who play leading roles in the persecution of Falun Gong were also charged, including Li Lanqing and Luo Gan. The plaintiffs of the lawsuit are 39 Falun Gong practitioners from Germany, Australia, Canada and Ireland. They have either directly experienced the persecution initiated by Jiang Zemin, or have relatives and/or friends who have been persecuted.
When discussing the lawsuit against Jiang, a spokesperson of the German Falun Gong Association said, "At the moment we are resorting to legal proceedings and legal evidence to expose what has happened in China. Of course, it is to expose all the persecution of Falun Gong and we urge the general public around the world to support Falun Gong practitioners in China."
The practitioners who came to Berlin to show their support for the lawsuit against Jiang Zemin came from over twenty countries, including the U.K., France, Switzerland, Sweden, Russia, Denmark, Norway, Spain, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Czechoslovakia, and Latvia.
This was not the first time that the German capital has been home to so many Falun Gong practitioners. Last April, when Jiang Zemin visited Germany, saw many practitioners peacefully appealing in Berlin. A Russian Dafa practitioner said, "Everybody knows that Jiang Zemin is the prime culprit in the persecution of Falun Gong. Last year he came to Germany for a visit; this year we are here to support the lawsuit against him. Since this is a large international event, we came here to show our support."
While Falun Gong practitioners were gathering in Brandenburg Gate Square in central Berlin, there were foreign dignitaries visiting the German government who passed by the practitioners' peaceful rally. Standing on the other side of the street, a group of Chinese tourists watched Dafa practitioners for a long period of time. Among them, some were surprised and curious; some were in admiration and others were puzzled by what they saw. These Chinese people have lived under lies and could hardly have the opportunity to witness the Dafa practitioners' peacefulness and dignity in China because of the persecution.
Source: http://clearharmony.net/articles/200311/16402.html
Category: April 25 Events