(Clearwisdom.net) On May 27, 2004, a court hearing will be held in the U.S. 7th Circuit Court in Chicago regarding the lawsuit against Jiang Zemin. On May 22, nearly 2000 Falun Gong practitioners from the U.S. and other countries gathered in Chicago. They started a series of activities to support the lawsuit against Jiang with a parade in Chicago's Chinatown and a rally in front of the Chinese Consulate.
A parade in Chinatown -- "Falun Dafa is great!"
At noon, nearly 1000 Falun Gong practitioners staged a parade with the theme, "Falun Dafa is great" in Chicago's Chinatown.
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A waist drum troupe and dragon dance led the parade, which was full of power and grandeur. The Tang Dynasty costume show and the fairy dance were elegant and graceful. The exercise demonstration was serene and peaceful, and drew many people's attention. These beautiful scenes formed a strong contrast to the part of the procession: "list of Falun Gong practitioners who have died from the persecution in China". Banners with words, "Support Bringing Jiang to Justice" expressed the practitioners' wish. Practitioners from different areas held their hand-made banners with the words, "Falun Dafa is great", and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance."
Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Lin Shenli from Canada said that this parade moved him deeply. He had been imprisoned in a forced labor camp in China and suffered cruel persecution for more than two years. Later, through rescue efforts from fellow practitioners in different countries and support from the Canadian government, he finally obtained his freedom. Mr. Lin said that here, people are able to have their voice heard in the form of a parade, but this is unimaginable in China. There, Falun Gong practitioners are not even allowed to report their situation to the Chinese government. They are subjected to persecution if they persist in their belief. Up to present, at least 968 Falun Gong practitioners have been confirmed to have died from the persecution. Mr. Lin also expressed that it was not the Chinese government that is suppressing Falun Gong, it is Jiang Zemin, who out of his own interest, manipulates the entire state machinery to suppress Falun Gong. This persecution does not have support from the people. Falun Gong practitioners called upon more people to pay attention to this suppression in China and hoped to bring Jiang Zemin to justice as soon as possible.
Parade coordinator Mr. Liu said that holding this parade in Chinatown was to help more Chinese people further understand the real situation of Falun Gong. More and more people have realized that Falun Gong practitioners' persistent clarifying the truth to the public was not getting involved in politics or being against any government, but just opposing this persecution. The practitioners are suing Jiang because he is the chief perpetrator of this suppression. Jiang cannot represent China or the Chinese government. Bringing him to justice will benefit the Chinese people.
During the parade, practitioners who distributed flyers also talked with spectators, who gave a lot of positive feedback. The practitioners felt that it was getting easier and easier to clarify the truth to people, who are coming to a better understanding of Falun Gong.
Rally in front of the Chinese Consulate -- "Public Forum on Bringing Jiang to Justice"
At 4:00 pm, a public forum on bringing Jiang to justice was held in front of the Chinese Consulate. Representatives from the Global Coalition to Bring Jiang Zemin to Justice (GCBJJ), Global Mission to Rescue Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners (GMRPFGP), Press Freedom and Human Rights League (PFHRL) World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG), Washington Forum, and "Fa Wang Hui Hui" (Human Rights Violation Investigation Organization), as well as human rights attorneys from Washington DC, columnists of the Epoch Times, a bike team from Washington DC raising awareness for children who are subjected to persecution in China, a van tour team composed of Falun Gong practitioners from California and representatives of Falun Gong practitioners delivered speeches, recounted Jiang's crimes and pointed out the damage that he has brought to mankind. They also addressed the historical significance of the lawsuit against Jiang. More than 1000 practitioners sat in front of the Chinese Consulate and sent forth righteous thoughts to express their support for bringing Jiang to justice.
Representative from WOIPFG Mr. Wang said in his speech, "Investigation clearly indicates that Jiang Zemin has used deceptive propaganda to incite hatred and combined threats with inducements to coerce people to consent to and even participate in the persecution of Falun Gong. Jiang turned this suppression of innocent people that he initiated out of his personal will into a movement implicating all the people. Furthermore, the attack and suppression of the principles of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" that Falun Gong practitioners follow is causing the Chinese people fall into and experience a spiritual catastrophe. .... More and more Chinese government officials from different levels and people are showing their disgust and resistance to this suppression and hope to end this persecution soon."
Mr. Ma represented PFHRL and expressed in his speech, "I believe that the lawsuit against Jiang Zemin charging him with 'torture, crimes against humanity and genocide" will awaken people and clear away the hurt and indifference that the period of terror has left on people. It will usher in a new era for the Chinese people to speak truthfully and to hear the truth."
Human rights attorney Ms. Han from Washington DC said, "Jiang Zemin is not a head of state currently and does not enjoy immunity as such. Even if he were still a head of state, he still does not have immunity for crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and torture. What he attacked was the fundamental righteous belief of mankind and what he attempted to eliminate was the righteousness of mankind. What he intended to destroy was a group kind people, a group of people who believe in Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance."
Mr. Lu, one of the organizers of the forum, said that the purpose of holding this forum was to express moral support to Falun Gong practitioners and allow more people to learn about the truth, as well as to put Jiang on trial in the court of conscience, morality and justice.
Background and update of the lawsuit against Jiang
In July 1999, an unprecedented genocide began in China. Different from previous forms of genocide, this time it was carried out under the cover of extensive lies and deceit, and its main purpose was to destroy people's spirit and belief.
As the chief perpetrator of this genocide, the former President of China Jiang Zemin abused his power to apply all kinds of torture to try to spiritually destroy, physically eliminate and financially bankrupt millions of people who practice Falun Gong. In the meantime, he attempted to deceive everyone in China and throughout the world by means of fabricating false charges, lies and threats, so as to coerce them to go along with and even participate in the persecution. This suppression was not only genocide against millions of Falun Gong practitioners, but also an attack on conscience and morality of everyone in the world.
Because Jiang Zemin manipulated the state apparatus to slander Falun Gong and used China's huge market as economic incentive, many people in the world have not sufficiently realized the scope of this genocide and the damage it has done.
In order to raise awareness of the genocide and to make progress towards stopping it, Falun Gong practitioners decided to sue Jiang with charge of "genocide".
In October 2002, Jiang visited Chicago. On October 18, Falun Gong practitioners filed a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court of the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division against Jiang Zemin, charging him with torture, crimes against humanity and genocide.
At around 4 pm on October 22, a subpoena was delivered to the defendants. In the following several months, plaintiffs sent lawsuit files through certified mail several times to Zhongnanhai, and Jiang's office signed the receipt of these legal correspondences.
On January 13, 2003, the court held the first hearing for this lawsuit, and a schedule was set.
On April 14, 2003, plaintiffs' attorney Terry Marsh, who is representing Falun Gong practitioners in the lawsuit against Jiang Zemin and the "610 Office" (an organization that Jiang established to carry out the suppression of Falun Gong), delivered legal evidence of this lawsuit to the court. Because Jiang stepped down from the post of Chinese President on March 15, 2003, when the formal complaint was submitted, Jiang was no longer a head of state.
On June 10, 2003, 38 members of the US Congress filed an amicus brief in support of the lawsuit against Jiang. The brief emphasized that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act makes it clear that such lawsuits should be decided by the courts and not through diplomatic pressure.
On September 12, 2003, the United States District Court judge dismissed the lawsuit on jurisdictional grounds, indicating that Jiang enjoys immunity from the torture and genocide charges. He dismissed the lawsuit but agreed with some of the arguments of the plaintiffs.
On January 19, 2004 plaintiffs filed an appellate brief with the US 7th Circuit Court, arguing that anyone, whether they are current or former Heads of State, must abide by the rule of law and cannot be above the law. The brief pointed out that if the plaintiffs' complaints are verified, the defendant violated the basic principles of the international law, and committed genocide and torture. In addition, the brief also pointed out that according to the spirit of the genocide and torture treaties that the U.S. has signed, Jiang Zemin, who left the position of the Chinese President on March 15, 2003, no longer enjoys any immunity.
On March 5, 2004, in consideration of the complicated mutual interests between countries, the U.S. Department of Justice filed an amicus brief to reply to the brief filed by plaintiffs' attorney on January 19, and presented arguments about the immunity and the process of service.
On March 19, 2004, the plaintiffs filed a reply to the DOJ brief. In addition to the points raised in the brief on January 19, a summary about the validity of the legal process was also added.
On May 27, 2004, oral arguments will be heard in the 7th Circuit Court.
Apart from the lawsuit against Jiang filed in the U.S., many lawsuits have been filed in other countries against Jiang. At least 25 lawsuits have been filed globally against Jiang Zemin and his followers for committing "genocide, crimes against humanity and genocide. Among these lawsuits, Jiang Zemin is being sued in the U.S., Germany, Belgium, Spain, Korea, and Taiwan.
The process of prosecuting Jiang has evoked a strong reaction in the American legal community. It has aroused public attention and awakened many kind people's sense of justice. Through this lawsuit, people from each corner in the world will be more and more aware of the facts of the persecution of Falun Gong in China and have a better understanding of Falun Gong.
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