(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners held activities in several cities in Germany to mark the 26th anniversary of their peacefully protesting the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ongoing persecution. Many elected officials addressed the rallies, wrote letters, or accepted interviews to express their support for practitioners and admiration for their perseverance. They expressed solidarity with practitioners to end the persecution and safeguard basic human rights.
Fourteen elected officials at various levels of government condemn the persecution.
From left to right, top to bottom:
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 of HesseBottom 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 the official websites)
(Continued from Part 1)
German Government Concerned About Falun Gong and Requests an Investigation
Dr. Günter Krings, MP of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
Letter from Dr. Günter Krings, MP
Dr. Krings wrote in his letter: “Today we commemorate a shocking chapter in recent Chinese history: 26 years ago, on July 20, 1999, the systematic persecution of Falun Gong practitioners began in the People's Republic of China , a persecution that continues to this day.
“Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a traditional Chinese meditation practice based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. This peaceful spiritual movement gained widespread popularity among the Chinese population in the 1990s.
“The sheer number of its followers was enough to put the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) system on alert. The reaction was brutal. Since then, Falun Gong practitioners in China have been persecuted, arrested, tortured, and imprisoned—often without due process.
“Even in 2025, this injustice remains a bitter reality. The fate of practitioners in China—such as Zhang Huijuan, who died in February of this year after surviving 12 years of imprisonment and abuse—is but one example of the many others whose names we do not know, but whose suffering is no less great.
“It is also worrying that the repression is not limited to China. The influence of Chinese authorities on Falun Gong activities abroad is an attack on freedom of expression and culture.
“As a member of the CDU, I advocate for religious freedom, human dignity, and the right to freedom of expression. These are indispensable foundations of our democratic order.
“It is welcome that the European Parliament sent clear signals in early 2024 and the US House of Representatives [passed the Falun Gong Protection Act] in May 2025. Such signals are important—they show that the international community is not turning a blind eye. Our commemoration today is a sign of solidarity with all those affected. It is also a reminder to look, to take a stand, and to not remain silent when fundamental rights are violated.
“I thank everyone who—whether in a large or small way—stands up for human rights, and especially for the persecuted Falun Gong practitioners. Their commitment deserves recognition and support.”
MP: The CCP Must State the Source of Organ Transplants
Dr. Franziska Kersten, MP of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)
Letter from Dr. Franziska Kersten, MP
Dr. Franziska Kersten wrote: “You are surely aware that a sad anniversary is approaching. The 26th anniversary of the persecution of Falun Gong is just around the corner. As the SPD Member of Parliament for Halle, I would therefore like to send you this greeting and draw your attention to the harsh treatment with which the Chinese state acts against people who practice their faith.
“Since July 22, 1999, the practice of Falun Gong has been banned in China. Since then, Falun Gong followers have been systematically persecuted, arrested, tortured, and forced into forced labor. To date, 5,224 deaths have been documented. The assumption of illegal trade in Falun Gong organs also seems to be supported by the increased number of organ transplants since 2000.
“On this anniversary, we therefore primarily remember the victims and practicing Falun Gong followers in China. Even today, they are still in danger for peacefully practicing their spirituality, for example, from arbitrary arrests, and are exposed to daily discrimination. We cannot and will not tolerate this.
“Therefore, I hereby urgently call on the Chinese government to address this persecution and to guarantee religious freedom and respect human rights. Make transparent the extent to which donor organs have been procured and transplanted in China. Grant the international community free access to court hearings and prisons. Only then can you counter these serious allegations.”
MP: Taking a Stand for Humanity, Justice, and Freedom
Dr. Jonas Geissler, MP of the Christian Social Union of Germany (CSU)
Letter from Dr. Jonas Geissler, MP
Dr. Jonas Geissler wrote: “Religious freedom is a fundamental human right, universal, indivisible, and non-negotiable. It protects the inner convictions of every individual, protects minorities, and is a touchstone for the freedom and humanity of a state.
“As the chairman of my parliamentary group in the Bundestag Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid, I am regularly confronted with serious human rights violations. The systematic persecution of Falun Gong practitioners is one of the most distressing and persistent examples of religious oppression of our time.
“I thank all of you who are taking a stand with this event for humanity, justice, and freedom.”
MP: Foreign Interference Not Allowed
Nicole Höchst, MP of Alternative for Germany (AfD)
Nicole Höchst MP said in an interview: “It’s been known since 1999 how Falun Gong is being treated. There are serious human rights violations, torture, and involuntary organ harvesting. And I’ve always been surprised that the international community has been so silent on this. And I wish that not just the German government or the EU, but the international community would push for a complete investigation of these abuses. And that it wouldn’t stop there.
“Whenever it comes to people and persecution and serious human rights violations being discussed, my heart also leaps as a mother, a woman, and a loving human being. And I say, ‘This can't go on. So please end this silence and talk to China.'
“As the Federal Republic of Germany, we are dependent on economic cooperation with China in many respects, like so many other countries. That means gaining access through the usual things like blockade mechanisms or sanctions, or whatever, is something a country can’t do alone. If that were the desire, the international community would have to be honest and say, ‘We’re looking into it and then we’ll first discuss with China itself what’s going on. How can this be resolved so that no one loses face?’ That’s always the point, so that important negotiating partners don’t lose face. But at the same time, the pressure must also be increased. We are all from the same human family, so that one part of the human family doesn’t set out to do very, very bad things to the other parts. So that’s why we have human rights, and we have to take a closer look.”
Regarding the CCP’s forced organ harvesting, Ms. Höchst said, “This whole practice is highly inhumane and contemptuous of life. It is also inhumane and contemptuous of how the life of the recipient is treated, because he also knows nothing and, in his desperation, has the opportunity to acquire such an organ on the black market, however he can find it.
“And if that is the case, as some press reports and reports that are available suggest, then karma will surely strike sooner or later.
“The federal government must take up the ball and ensure that it introduces laws that must accomplish several things. Firstly, and here I’ll start with our own best interests as Germans, it must also ensure that this kind of organ tourism cannot take place. We even had a supply chain law, which we have discussed again recently, because it is intended to ensure that all human rights are respected throughout the supply chain, and so on.”
Regarding the CCP’s transnational repression of dissidents, Ms. Höchst said, “First of all, a clear message to China. We are here in Germany and will of course not tolerate foreign powers reaching out to those people who came to us as refugees, who sought protection here, and who are now being harassed by their countries of origin.
“So, I view this internal interference with great concern, not to mention the fact that I categorically reject it in Germany because the mechanisms are evil. They show that it is possible here in Germany, and perhaps also in America or other Western countries, for financially motivated media to gain access to media outlets that then, for example, frame them accordingly or use propaganda and manipulation techniques to create a certain image, writing about people who are victims as if they were perpetrators in some way. That’s actually absurd, because reality depicts something different.
“As I said, the world has known this since 1999, and now there are attempts at new German framing that attempt to depict a victim-perpetrator reversal, or at least to put the persecuted in a strange corner and in a strange light. And one really has to ask oneself, and I expect this from the federal government as well, who benefits from it, and what is this actually about? And at the end of the day, at the end of such chains of questions, there are always large sums of money that someone is earning.”
She also reminded everyone, “I’ve never been a fan of communism, nor of its ugly little sister, socialism. History has shown how many millions of deaths these regimes have caused. If change is to happen, it really has to come from within. We saw that in the former GDR, too.”
At the end, she said, “I think there are hardly any comforting words one can say from the outside in such situations. I pray for them.”
MSP: This Is Our Responsibility
René Domke, MSP of the Mecklenburg-VorpommernVideo message from René Domke, MSP of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
René Domke, MSP of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, said in his video greeting, “It is with a heavy heart that I address you today on such a sad day. For 26 years, Falun Gong practitioners have been systematically persecuted in China simply because they believe in a spiritual practice based on Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. However, peace is seen as a threat, solidarity is violently suppressed, and things that elevate the human spirit are destroyed.
“As someone who sees freedom not only as a political value but as a fundamental right for everyone, I am deeply shocked by this. As a member of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), I make it clear that this persecution violates human dignity and the universal rights that everyone should enjoy.
“The violence that Falun Gong practitioners have suffered is difficult to describe. Arbitrary imprisonment, mental and physical torture, forced labor, and the shocking use of people as tools for organ harvesting--all these cruel realities continue to this day.
“We cannot turn a blind eye. This is our duty. We have a responsibility to face injustice and speak out for those who are deprived of speech. Freedom of belief, faith, and thought is not a privilege, but a human right. Anyone who violates these rights should be held accountable by the international community.
“I commend the European Parliament and the U.S. House of Representatives for clearly speaking out against these crimes. This pressure [on the CCP] is necessary, this sympathy [for Falun Gong practitioners] is necessary, and the unremitting efforts of civil society organizations, such as the activities here today, are needed so that the fate of Falun Gong practitioners will not be forgotten.
“My heart is with the victims and their families, and with all those who peacefully pursue justice. Thank you for your remembrance and warning, and thank you for your unremitting efforts to make freedom, human dignity, and humanitarianism no longer empty slogans, but practices in the real world.”
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Category: July 20 Events
