Criminalizing Faith: Religious Persecution and Forced Organ Harvesting in China

The 59th session of the Human Rights Council offers an urgent platform to address China’s systematic and state-driven persecution of religious and spiritual communities, particularly practitioners of Falun Gong in China and the Uyghur Muslim population in Xinjiang.

Reports from United Nations experts and independent tribunals have revealed widespread violations, including arbitrary detention, torture, surveillance, indoctrination, and forced labor. In the case of Falun Gong and Uyghurs, credible allegations point to the state-sanctioned practice of forced organ harvesting, which the experts have concluded is a crime against humanity.

This side event will examine the current state of religious repression in China, especially targeting Falun Gong and Uyghurs, share survivor testimonies and findings from international investigations, explore the mechanisms of forced organ harvesting including hospital-military collusion, present legal arguments and international responses to these violations, and offer recommendations for coordinated international action and accountability.

Speakers

• Charlotte Zehrer, moderator and human rights officer at Global Human Rights Defence
• Dr. Andreas Weber, MD: deputy director of Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, expert at the Ministry of Health of the 20th German Bundestag
• KaYan Wong: Falun Gong practitioner, advocate for victims of China’s ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime
• ManYan Ng: China expert, board member International Society for Human Rights
• Yumei Liu: Victim and survivor, Falun Gong practitioner

This is a U.N. side event at the 59th Human Rights Council Session: Freedom of Religion and Belief in China

Date: June 16, 2025
Time: 5–6 p.m.
Venue: Room XXV, Palais des Nations, Geneva
Organizer: Citoyen en action pour la démocratie et le développement, Global Human Rights Defence