Falun Gong's Future Brightens in Russia After Successful Court Appeal

We told you in January about how the Russian Ministry of Justice had blacklisted a book on the Falun Gong spiritual practice. It came after alleged pressure from the Chinese Communist Party. Well now, it seems the decision may be overturned in court.

It started last August, in the city of Krasnodar in southern Russia. A district court held a secret hearing that ruled a book called Zhuan Falun was a so-called "extremist publication." The book is the principle text of the spiritual practice Falun Gong.

Falun Gong practitioners practice truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance along with several slow moving exercises. The Chinese regime severely represses Falun Gong in its own country and often attempts to extend that repression overseas. Falun Gong practitioners in China have been detained, tortured, pressured from work and school.

[Natalia Evdokimova, Human Rights Lawyer]:
"In order to maintain its relationship with the Chinese Communist Party, our [Russian] government was trying to handle it this way."

The Russian Ministry of Justice was able to put the Falun Gong book on its "extremist list" after the district court's ruling. But the ruling was made without inviting anyone representing Falun Gong to testify.

[Natalia Evdokimova, Human Rights Lawyer]:
"This is very obvious. The court's decision was nonsense. Falun Gong's philosophy is not to be against anything, it is to be in support of something. It's kindness; it's patience; it's love—strictly positive images."

After the district court's decision, Falun Gong practitioners in Russia appealed to a higher court in Krasnodar.

[Julia Novalihina, Lawyer Representing Falun Gong]:
"I was 100 percent sure that there was a concrete basis for reversing the decision."

And on April 28th, this lawyer was proven right. The higher court overturned the original ruling, calling for a new hearing.

[Mikhail Sinitsyn, Lawyer and Falun Gong Practitioner]:
"Dozens of letters from the Falun Gong organization, as well as private residents from Russia and abroad, arrived at the regional court of Krasnodar. And it seems that the court has taken into consideration this circumstance, which underlines that this decision affects the rights and interests of many people."

This time, Falun Gong practitioners and their lawyers will be allowed to testify and present their evidence that Falun Gong is not "extremist."

[Natalia Evdokimova, Human Rights Lawyer]:
"It's a tiny step forward for our powerful country towards having a government that respects the rights of its citizens."

The Falun Gong book Zhuan Falun has been published around the world in more than 40 languages. Its author, Mr. Li Hongzhi, has been nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize.

NTD News, Russia.

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