BUENOS AIRES, Argentina—Human rights supporters in Argentina gathered to praise the decision of Federal Court Judge Octavio Aráoz de Lamadrid, who recently ruled that two leading members of the Chinese Communist Party are guilty of genocide against Falun Gong practitioners.
The judge included orders for arrest in his decision, which were then relayed to Interpol authorities in Argentina.
The plaintiff, Liwei Fu, said at the Dec. 23 press conference, that the ruling brings a ray of hope to the innocent Falun Gong practitioners in China and serves as a guide for the rest of the world.
“It has already been 10 years that this horrible genocide has been going on,” she said, “with news of torture, disappearances, concentration camps, forced labor camps, kidnapping, and even extraction of organs of Falun Dafa practitioners.”
Fu expressed thanks on behalf of the Falun Gong community worldwide, particularly those persecuted for their beliefs in China. “Finally, someone far away in Argentina has taken the step to show that justice will not be blind in front of these crimes,” she said.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Alejandro Cowes, said the Argentinian judge made it clear in his ruling that genocide of “huge proportions” is happening against Falun Gong inside China. Former leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Jiang Zemin, who ordered the persecution in 1999, and ex-head of the 6-10 police force commissioned to carry out the persecution, Luo Gan, are among the chief culprits, Cowes said.
“Facing evil, human beings can be indifferent, or join in solidarity with the victims,” Cowes said in a previous interview. “In the case of a judge like Araoz de Lamadrid, he had no alternative but to investigate, trying to get at the truth and make a judgment when he arrives at the conviction that a crime is being committed.”
While arrest warrants were levied against Jiang and Luo, Cowes said that because the Chinese Communist Party is still carrying out the persecution, neither of the suspects will be able to be detained and extradited from China. If either of the two travels abroad, however, they face detention and transfer to Argentina for trial.
However, this depends on the existence of an extradition treaty with particular countries, as well as the willingness of the country to cooperate should either of the two visit.
Supporters from around South America sent letters of support after the case, including several current and former Argentinian senators and a number of human rights professionals.
Letters of gratitude and support from Falun Gong refugees in Europe and the United States were also read out at the conference. One writer, identified as Lin Bin, wrote, “We know that you are confronting injustice and difficulties, however, your efforts are very valuable. Your decision warned the Chinese Communist Party and, without doubt, will keep the persecution from getting worse. We are sure that change will come soon.”
The judge included orders for arrest in his decision, which were then relayed to Interpol authorities in Argentina.
The plaintiff, Liwei Fu, said at the Dec. 23 press conference, that the ruling brings a ray of hope to the innocent Falun Gong practitioners in China and serves as a guide for the rest of the world.
“It has already been 10 years that this horrible genocide has been going on,” she said, “with news of torture, disappearances, concentration camps, forced labor camps, kidnapping, and even extraction of organs of Falun Dafa practitioners.”
Fu expressed thanks on behalf of the Falun Gong community worldwide, particularly those persecuted for their beliefs in China. “Finally, someone far away in Argentina has taken the step to show that justice will not be blind in front of these crimes,” she said.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Alejandro Cowes, said the Argentinian judge made it clear in his ruling that genocide of “huge proportions” is happening against Falun Gong inside China. Former leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Jiang Zemin, who ordered the persecution in 1999, and ex-head of the 6-10 police force commissioned to carry out the persecution, Luo Gan, are among the chief culprits, Cowes said.
“Facing evil, human beings can be indifferent, or join in solidarity with the victims,” Cowes said in a previous interview. “In the case of a judge like Araoz de Lamadrid, he had no alternative but to investigate, trying to get at the truth and make a judgment when he arrives at the conviction that a crime is being committed.”
While arrest warrants were levied against Jiang and Luo, Cowes said that because the Chinese Communist Party is still carrying out the persecution, neither of the suspects will be able to be detained and extradited from China. If either of the two travels abroad, however, they face detention and transfer to Argentina for trial.
However, this depends on the existence of an extradition treaty with particular countries, as well as the willingness of the country to cooperate should either of the two visit.
Supporters from around South America sent letters of support after the case, including several current and former Argentinian senators and a number of human rights professionals.
Letters of gratitude and support from Falun Gong refugees in Europe and the United States were also read out at the conference. One writer, identified as Lin Bin, wrote, “We know that you are confronting injustice and difficulties, however, your efforts are very valuable. Your decision warned the Chinese Communist Party and, without doubt, will keep the persecution from getting worse. We are sure that change will come soon.”
