United Nations calls on China to prosecute organ harvesters

Ottawa, Winnipeg - The United Nations Committee against Torture today (21 November 2008) stated that China "should immediately conduct or commission an independent investigation of the claims that some Falun Gong practitioners have been subjected to torture and used for organ transplants and take measures, as appropriate, to ensure that those responsible for such abuses are prosecuted and punished."

The statement was made in the Committee’s Concluding Observations on the report made by China on compliance with the Convention against Torture.  Those observation can be found at 

 <http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/docs/CAT.C.CHN.CO.4.pdf>.

"The Government of China should do what the Committee recommends.  Failure to conduct or commission an independent investigation on organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners would put China in violation of its international obligations under the Convention against Torture, which the Government of China freely signed and ratified", said David Matas, co-author with David Kilgour on a report of organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners

"It is rare for the UN system to call the Government of China to account for its human rights violations.  The Committee against Torture must be commended for its willingness to confront directly the very real human rights problems the Government of China has posed to the world", said David kilgour.

The Committee considered the China compliance report in Geneva on November 7 and 10.  The Committee had a briefing session on November 6th with non-governmental representatives which David Matas attended.

The report of David Matas and David Kilgour on organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners was released in a first version in July 2006 and in a second version in January 2007.  It is available on the internet at <www.organharvestinvestigation.net>.

For further information contact: 

David Matas 204-944-1831

David Kilgour 613-747-7854.