Russian authorities conducted a series of raids on May 3, targeting practitioners of the Falun Gong spiritual discipline. Homes were searched in Moscow, and four individuals were detained under the law against “carrying out the activities of an undesirable organization.” These recent events represent a new escalation in the campaign against the spiritual group, which has included the banning of books, confiscation of literature, harassment, and interrogations.
Russian media outlets publicized the raids, but their coverage was heavily influenced by Chinese Communist Party propaganda about Falun Gong. The spiritual practice is based on traditional Chinese meditation and adheres to the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. It has a strong following in countries worldwide but has faced severe persecution in China since 1999, when an estimated 70-100 million people were practicing Falun Gong. The crackdown involved forced labor, psychiatric abuse, and organ harvesting.
The Kremlin’s growing reliance on China may be contributing to the intensifying pressure on Falun Gong practitioners in Russia. Despite operating legally using a registered organization, the Moscow-based source told The Epoch Times that four practitioners were detained during the May 3 raids. The White House National Security Council expressed concern over these incidents and noted the U.S. government’s continued efforts to speak out against religious persecution of groups like Falun Gong.
The law used as a basis for the raids, “carrying out the activities of an undesirable organization,” was passed in 2015. It has been used by Russian authorities to target more than 100 organizations, journalists, and human rights activists, with penalties including up to six years in prison. The Falun Dafa Information Center’s executive director, Levi Browde, condemned the arrests of practitioners for simply practicing their beliefs and urged Russian authorities to resist pressure from the Chinese regime.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has also voiced its strong condemnation of the recent detainment of Falun Gong practitioners in Moscow, noting that Russia’s banning of Falun Gong-affiliated institutions is a clear violation of the internationally protected right to freedom of religion or belief. The commissioner called for the immediate release of these wrongfully detained individuals and for Russia to end its prosecution of all Falun Gong practitioners and other religious groups labeled “undesirable.
Representative Scott Perry (R-Pa.) also expressed concern about the ties between Russia and China in relation to these incidents. In November 2023, police conducted similar searches of Falun Gong adherents’ homes in several regions, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Irkutsk, and the Irkutsk region.
