The Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the North-Western Administrative District of Moscow opened a criminal case against a resident of the capital, accused of organizing the work of the Chinese Falun Gong movement recognized as “undesirable” (Part 3 of Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code). The press service of the department reports this.
According to the security forces, the woman, together with like-minded people, distributed books of the movement, including Zhuan Falun, recognized in Russia as extremist, written by the founder of Falun Gong, Li Hongzhi. The Telegram channel “No to Extremism” reports the arrest of four Muscovites in this case.
The Falun Gong movement became popular in China in the 2000s. It is based on spiritual practices with elements of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, folk beliefs and Gygong gymnastics. The Chinese authorities are persecuting Falun Gong supporters.
In Russia, since the summer of 2020, seven organizations associated with the movement have been recognized as “undesirable.” The main treatise of the teaching, Zhuan Falun, was included in the register of extremist literature in 2011. Specialists from the SOVA information and analytical center found no signs of extremism in this book.
According to Mediazona’s calculations, in the first months of 2024, security forces drew up 15 protocols on “participation” in the activities of an “undesirable” organization in supporters of religious organizations “New Generation”, “Falun Gong” and “Renaissance”.
