(Minghui.org) To oppose the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) transnational repression and persecution, 124 lawmakers from various levels of the Swiss cantons of Geneva, Vaud, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Valais, Jura, and Ticino have jointly signed an Inter-Parliamentary Declaration on Transnational Repression Against Falun Gong Practitioners. The declaration condemns the CCP’s 27-year persecution of Falun Gong and transnational repression. It also calls on the Swiss federal government to take actions to safeguard the basic rights and safety of Falun Gong practitioners in Switzerland. It calls for an end to the CCP’s human rights abuse.

Inter-Parliamentary Declaration on Transnational Repression Against Falun Gong Practitioners

The statement reads, “We, the undersigned parliamentarians, strongly condemn the cruel and violent repression of Falun Gong by the Chinese regime—a campaign that has been ongoing in China for over 26 years and is now extending beyond its borders.

“Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa, is an ancient spiritual practice rooted in the Buddhist tradition; it is based on the universal values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, as well as on gentle yet powerful movements designed to improve physical and mental health [qigong].

“Yet, since 1999, the Chinese regime has sought to demonize and dehumanize this group in an attempt to eradicate it through grave human rights abuses in China—including the deprivation of livelihoods, imprisonment, brainwashing, and torture—extending even to the forced harvesting of organs from living victims, a practice widely documented and condemned by the China Tribunal in London in 2019.

“The Chinese regime is now not only intensifying its deceptive propaganda against Falun Gong outside China, but alarming reports also indicate numerous instances of threats, physical assaults, surveillance, and censorship targeting Falun Gong practitioners living abroad. The Weber report, available on the Confederation’s website, clearly demonstrates this.

“We call upon the Swiss authorities to:- Ensure respect on Swiss soil for the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Federal Constitution, particularly freedom of belief and freedom of expression.- Take all necessary measures to protect Falun Gong practitioners on Swiss soil.- Demand that the Chinese regime immediately put an end to this inhumane and unjust persecution.”

Lawmakers who signed the statement

First row: Swiss Federal Parliament (Members of the Council of States): Mauro Poggia, Carlo Sommaruga, and Fabio Regazzi. (Members of the National Council): Daniel Sormanni, Laurence Fehlmann Rielle, Rudi Berli, Vincent Maitre, Christian Dandrès, Léonore Porchet, and Delphine Klopfenstein Broggini.

Second row: (Members of the National Council): Philippe Nantermod, Yvan Pahud, Raphaël Mahaim, and Daniel Ruch. Grand Council of the Canton of Geneva (Members of the Grand Council): Ana Roch (Deputy, former President of the Grand Council), Christo Ivanov, Cédric Jeanneret, Gilbert Catelain, Clarisse Di Rosa, and Leonard Ferati.

Third row: (Members of the Grand Council): Patrick Dimier, Yves de Matteis, Patrick Lussi, Marc Falquet, Christian Flury, François Baertschi, Sophie Bobillier, Philippe de Rougemont, Frédéric Saenger, and Darius Azarpey.

Fourth row: Grand Council of the Canton of Geneva (Members of the Grand Council): Thierry Oppikofer, Jean-Charles Rielle, Emmanuel Deonna, Stéphane Florey, Diego Esteban (Deputy, former President), Masha Alimi, and Sylvain Thévoz. Municipal Council of Geneva (Members of the Municipal Council): Anne Carron (President), Charlotte Meierhofer, and Nathalie Jaggi.

Fifth row: Municipal Council of Geneva: Jean-Luc Von Arx, Daniel Dany Pastore, Pascal Altenbach, Mathieu Romanens, Fabienne Beaud, Elisabeth Brodard, and Aurélien Barakat. Grand Council of the Canton of Vaud (Members of the Grand Council of the Canton of Vaud): Yannick Maury, Didier Lohri, and Loïc Bardet.

Sixth row: (Members of the Grand Council of the Canton of Vaud): Matthieu Balsiger, Jean-Louis Radice, Graziella Schaller, Sabine Glauser, Valérie Zonca, Marc Olivier Buffat, Circé Fuchs, Martine Gerber, Valérie D’Acremont, and Grégory Bovay.

Seventh row: (Members of the Grand Council of the Canton of Vaud): Hadrien Buclin, Laurent Balsiger. Municipal Council of Vaud City: Matthias Paquier, Ilias Panchard, Eliane Aubert, Prisca Morand. Grand Council of the Canton of Fribourg: Sophie Tritten, Eliane Aebischer, Jean-Pierre Doutaz, and Sandra Lepori.

Eighth row: (Members of the Grand Council of the Canton of Fribourg): François Ingold, Laurent Baeriswyl, Catherine Esseiva, Lucie Ménetrey, Fritz Glauser, Cristel Berset, Liliane Galley, Simon Murith, Julia Senti, Simon Zurich.

Ninth row: (Members of the Grand Council of the Canton of Fribourg): Tina Raetzo, Marcus Stöckli, Daphné Roulin, Benoît Glasson, Hubert Dafflon, Carole Raetzo. Grand Council of Jura: Patrick Chapuis, Martin Braichet, Gaëlle Frossard, Damien Chappuis.

Tenth row: (Members of the Grand Council of the Canton of Jura): Nicolas Girard, Jeanne Lusa, Katia Lehmann, Yann Rufer, Françoise Schaffter, Vincent Wermeille, Ignace Berret, Valérie Bourquin, François Monin, Fabrice Macquat.

Eleventh row: Grand Council of the Canton of Valais (Members of the Grand Council of Valais): Carole Morisod, Sophie Pignat Delavy, Thomas Matter, Matthieu Clerc, Jérôme Desmeules, Charlotte Thétaz, Nathan Bender, David Marietan, Vincent Boand, Benoît Fournier.

Twelfth row: Grand Council of the Canton of Neuchâtel (Grand Council Members of the Canton of Neuchâtel): Blaise Courvoisier, Daniel Berger. Grand Council of Ticino (Member of the Grand Council of Ticino): Maria Pia Ambrosetti, Sarah Beretta Piccoli, Massimo Mobiglia, Roberto Ostinelli, Matteo Pronzini, Matteo Quadranti, Josef Savary, Giancarlo Seitz.

Thirteenth row: (Deputies of the Grand Council of Ticino): Giuseppe Sergi, Giovanni Capoferri, Omar Balli. Grand Council of the Canton of Neuchâtel (Deputy of the Grand Council of Neuchâtel): Richard Gigon.