"קצירת האיברים בכפייה מאנשים בעודם בחיים בסין נמשכת. הקורבנות העיקריים: מתרגלי "פאלון גונג

Members of the European Parliament are raising concerns over the practice of forced organ harvesting in China. Experts and lawmakers say the practice is still going on and continues on an industrial scale despite international attention. Calls are now growing for stronger action. NTD's international correspondent David Vivez reports from Brussels. Members of the European Parliament in Brussels addressing the crime of forced organ harvesting in China. For more than 20 years, investigations have concluded that the Chinese Communist Party has overseen the large-scale harvesting and sale of organ from prisoners of conscience to patients worldwide. The practice involves hospitals, police and detention center staff across China. Despite repeated warnings from experts and human rights groups, organizers say the practice continues today. Organizers said that despite three resolutions passed by the European Parliament since 2013, the latest in 2023, Europe has failed to take further action toward legislation that could increase pressure on the Chinese Communist Party. In the United States, a bill sponsored by Senator Ted Cruz, which is currently pending in the Senate, would impose visa bans and asset freezes on the individuals involved in forced organ harvesting in China. Do you think that such a legislation could be introduced in Europe? That's a good question, if we could have a legislation like that. If I had to wager a guess here, I don't think we would be able to do it at this time, because the House would rather not offend China than doing the right thing, as they so often do. But it's certainly something to think about. Experts describe a practice they say operates on an industrial scale, with estimates reaching into the billion dollars. Different groups in China have different incentives to do this. Doctors, police officers, hospitals and organ brokers, they do it for profit. And in the case of the Uyghurs, for example, it's not only profit. Let's say the Middle East regions, they are asking for halal organs at the moment, and there's a big demand for this kind of organs. So the Uyghurs are kind of a moneymaker right now for the Chinese transplantation system, and we are talking about a nine billion dollar industry. In other cases, such as practitioners of Falun Gong, experts say forced organ harvesting is also used as a tool of persecution, targeting groups detained by the Chinese regime. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice that is heavily persecuted in China. In 2019, an independent tribunal in London concluded that forced organ harvesting has taken place in China on a significant scale, and that Falun Gong practitioners were likely the main source of organ supply. And now there's a source of organs which is spread all over China, and it's a kind of a self-propelling mechanism. Obviously, it was an initiative for hospitals and the whole industry, but the real heart of this issue is this campaign to eradicate these people. This is initiated by the Chinese Communist Party, and it's easy for them to implement, and that really is the main reason why so many members of the Falun Gong organization have been organs harvested. One focus of the conference was the broader impact of these allegations beyond China. Experts warned that the erosion of medical ethics in transplantation could weaken public trust and reduce willingness to donate organs in Western countries, making it harder for patients to receive life-saving transplants. Anderson says the implications could go even further. I think it will drag the world down because, I mean, we see the discussions in our country, right? In our countries, they're trying to increase the amount of available organs, and China might just give them an idea, right? Who's to say that in, I don't know, 10 years from now, you know, they say, well, you're not worth living because you have totally wrong ideas. New reports from Doctors Against False Organ Harvesting are expected to be published in the coming months as the organization marks its 20th anniversary. David Vives, NTD News, Brussels.