June 12, 2002
His Excellency Jon B. Hannibalsson
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States
Embassy of the Republic of Iceland
1156 15th Street NW, Suite 1200
Washington, DC, 20005
Dear Ambassador Hannibalsson,
I am writing on behalf of several Falun Gong practitioners from New Jersey who contacted my office to express disappointment when they were denied visas for travel to Iceland. In addition, a number of constituents have informed me that their airline tickets to Iceland were cancelled.
Iceland has a well-deserved reputation as a free and open society, dedicated to the enlightened principles of religious toleration and democracy. I know that you share my belief that every attempt should be made to allow dissenting viewpoints to be heard and peaceful protests to take place. Any security concerns must be carefully balanced against the basic rights provided in a democratic society.
With these important values in mind, I am confident that a resolution can be found to allow for peaceable protest during the visit of Jiang Zemin, President of the People's Republic of China. Thank you for your kind attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
á
JON S. CORZINE
United States Senator