(Minghui.org) “We stand together today because there are people who are not allowed to stand free. People who are persecuted for something that should be a given in any free society: their faith, their beliefs, their spiritual practice,” said Hans Egli, member of the Cantonal Council of Zürich, who represents the Federal Democratic Union (EDU).
Mr. Egli spoke on July 18, 2026, at an event held by Falun Gong practitioners in Bern, the capital of Switzerland, to expose the 27-year persecution of the spiritual discipline, “Falun Gong practitioners have been systematically oppressed, humiliated, tortured, and deprived of their rights since 1999,” he said.
Dr. Eva Keller, former member of the Canton of St. Gallen, participated in a separate event in Zurich on July 25. She delivered a speech in hopes of exposing the persecution in China and getting people to work together to end it.
Truth, Rule of Law, Steadfastness, and Solidarity Are the Remedies to End the Persecution
Mr. Egli said that the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, who believe in Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, not only violates international conventions but also tramples on human dignity. He pointedly asked: “What is the most effective remedy against persecution? What can we do so that people no longer have to suffer in the dark?”
Persecution Ends When Truth Is Revealed
Egli said, “Persecution thrives on darkness. It needs silence, propaganda, and the dehumanization of its victims. The strongest antidote is therefore the truth.
“Every testimony, every report, every independent investigation is a ray of light. And light has a special quality: It dispels darkness without causing harm itself.”
Persecution Ends When It Incurs Consequences
In his opinion, people not only need to condemn the persecution based on moral grounds, but should also make the perpetrators bear political, diplomatic, and legal consequences. “The rule of law is not an abstract concept. It is a shield for the voiceless. And it sends a signal to perpetrators that injustice will not go unpunished,” he said.
Persecution Ends When People Stand Firm
“There is one force that authoritarian systems cannot fully control: a person’s inner conviction,” Mr. Egli said about Falun Gong practitioners persistent efforts to end the persecution.
“Violence does not necessarily create submission. That people can be broken—but not their values.
“This steadfastness is not loud. It is not aggressive. It is quiet, peaceful, and yet unwavering. And that is precisely why it is so powerful.
“When a state (regime) punishes people for meditation, for kindness, or for spiritual beliefs, it loses its moral legitimacy. And legitimacy is something no regime can permanently enforce.”
Persecution Ends When We Don’t Look Away
Mr. Egli believes that everyone should bear responsibility, “Not the responsibility to change the world alone, but the responsibility not to be indifferent.”
He concluded, “The best remedy against persecution is a combination of truth, the rule of law, steadfastness, and solidarity.
“We will not be silent, we will not look away, and we will continue to denounce injustice.”
Raise Awareness of Ongoing Persecution in China
Dr. Keller said Falun Gon is worth supporting and she didn’t think that there was any reason to persecute this group of people. Referring to China’s state-sanctioned systemic organ harvesting from living practitioners who refused to renounce their faith, she expressed her shock, “It is inhumane and incredibly cruel that people are treated as materials in China.”
For years Dr. Keller has been sending letters of support for the practitioners’ events. This year she attended in person because she wanted everyone to be aware of the persecution. “People know very little about this, and it’s crucial to raise awareness. I have the opportunity to be involved here now, so I seized it,” she said.
Mr. Egli said that many people in Switzerland had no idea that Falun Gong practitioners are being persecuted by the regime, and that millions of practitioners live in danger: they are tortured, incarcerated in forced labor camps, and have their organs removed against their will. “Everyone in Switzerland should know this,” he said.
Help End the Persecution
Dr. Keller didn’t think that the CCP’s persecution would end with Falun Gong practitioners. She said that when a dictatorship begins persecuting one group, it often spreads to other groups. “Ultimately, the entire nation suffers.”
She believes the persecution ultimately impacts Switzerland. “Even events happening far away from me can indirectly affect me, hence I feel responsible. Of course, my primary concern is for those around me, but we cannot completely isolate ourselves. Especially Falun Dafa practitioners, who are also persecuted [in Switzerland].”
She hopes that her efforts can make a difference: “I know very well that one person alone cannot do much, but if we all work together, things may begin to change.”
Responsibility and Duty to Stop the Persecution
Mr. Egli recalled the first time he heard about the persecution of Falun Gong years ago: “I was shocked because I knew nothing about it. I abhor injustice and believe that it is my political responsibility and personal obligation to fight against injustice and oppose persecution, and to speak out clearly, not ambiguously.
“I am willing to bear the consequences, even if it harms me. I must say that I hope to be able to see myself in the mirror at night with a clear conscience. I want to stand up for the ideals I uphold, even if means shouldering negative consequences.”
Falun Gong’s Values Will Prevail
As a devout Christian, Mr. Egli said that Falun Gong’s principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are “very important values to me, and they make me feel a deep connection with Falun Gong.”
He was well aware that the CCP also persecutes Christians. “I certainly condemn it in the strongest terms. To make it clear, I hope that Falun Gong and Christians will no longer be persecuted.”
He believes the CCP’s persecution ultimately harms itself, “[The CCP] is in fact hurting itself, indirectly weakening itself, without realizing it. But I strongly believe that the light—that is, the values Falun Gong upholds—is a more powerful force than persecution, and these values will ultimately prevail.”
Both speakers called for more political figures to familiarize themselves with the human rights abuses in China, and work together to end it.
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