US Government, Lawmakers Condemn Russia’s Detention of Falun Gong Practitioner

 US officials said they are ‘troubled and saddened’ to hear of the Moscow police raid and ‘deeply concerned’ about the persecution of Falun Gong globally.

National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby speaks at a White House press briefing on May 6, 2024. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia’s jailing of a Falun Gong practitioner amid growing ties with the Chinese regime is stirring alarm in Washington, with the State Department and lawmakers condemning the move.

A Moscow court on May 4 placed a Falun Gong practitioner in detention for nearly two months on the basis of her faith, the day after police raided the homes of five practitioners.

Natalya Minenkova is being detained until June 27 under a controversial law against “carrying out the activities of an undesirable organization.” The law has previously been used against journalists and human rights activists.

The criminal investigation by Russian authorities against Ms. Minenkova is getting underway as Russia becomes increasingly reliant on Beijing.

In China, where an estimated 70 million to 100 million people practice Falun Gong—a meditation practice based on moral principles—the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has severely persecuted the group since 1999, including abuses such as slave labor and forced organ harvesting.

The State Department said in a statement that it’s “troubled and saddened” by reports of the raid.

“We are deeply concerned about the persecution of members of Falun Gong globally,” a State Department spokesperson told The Epoch Times. “Russian authorities and others harass, fine, and imprison Falun Gong practitioners for such simple acts as meditating and possessing spiritual texts.”

State Department podium at the Department of State briefing room in Washington on July 27, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

The spokesperson noted that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has designated Russia as a “country of particular concern” since 2021 for engaging in “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”

“These include physical abuse, torture, and imprisonment of individuals on the basis of their religious beliefs and unjustly designating peaceful religious and spiritual groups such as Falun Gong as ‘extremist,’ ‘terrorist’ or ‘undesirable,’” the spokesperson said.

“Russian authorities should fulfill their obligations with respect to human rights and fundamental freedoms and release all individuals who have been imprisoned or detained for exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief.”