What You Missed at the International Religious Freedom Summit 2025
From February 5-7, 2025, the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit convened thousands of advocates, policymakers, and faith leaders from over 30 religious traditions on Capitol Hill and at the Washington Hilton. Supported by more than 90 organizations, the event aimed to advance global religious freedom and address pressing crimes against humanity against believers.
A highlight of the summit was U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s address, where he reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to protecting religious liberty. “Both at home and abroad we have much more to do to more fully secure religious liberty for all people of faith,” the vice president concluded.
Among the speakers, members of the Falun Gong community identified the latest government actions and exposed new developments in the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) escalating persecution—both in China and through its transnational repression abroad.
Growing concern for transnational repression
Falun Gong speakers were featured each day at the IRF Summit, addressing various aspects of the CCP’s ongoing persecution in 2024 and 2025. From transnational repression to the latest developments inside China, each speaker provided critical insights into the regime’s escalating campaign against Falun Gong practitioners.
Levi Browde, the executive director of the Falun Dafa Information Center (FDIC), drew a large crowd on February 4 during his breakout session on transnational repression. His briefing highlighted the growing concern over the CCP’s efforts to silence him and FDIC, his family, and Falun Gong practitioners beyond China’s borders. The honesty of his speech sparked significant interest, with attendees eager to learn more about Beijing’s tactics and how to counter them.
On February 5, Lydia Wang shared a deeply personal account of her family’s suffering under the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong at the IRF Summit. Her mother, Aihua Liu, has been arrested 11 times and is currently imprisoned in Hunan Province Women’s Prison. Her father died in 2009 after enduring torture in custody. Despite the constant harassment, arrests, and intimidation, Lydia and her family have remained steadfast in their faith.
She recounted how the persecution affected not only her parents but also her own life. After her brother joined Shen Yun Performing Arts in the U.S., authorities intensified their pressure, threatening her, detaining her mother repeatedly, and forcing her husband—who worked for the CCP—to push her toward renouncing her faith. When she refused, she faced losing her job, her family, and even her second child due to China’s one-child policy. Ultimately, she fled to the U.S., giving birth alone in New York while her mother remained imprisoned in China.
Lydia’s story is just one of millions, yet the CCP’s repression extends beyond China’s borders. She described how Shen Yun’s training center in the U.S. has received numerous violent threats, including those targeting members of Congress. Despite these dangers, she remains determined to expose the persecution and seek justice. She hopes to bring her mother to safety in the U.S. and called on policymakers to take stronger action in protecting Falun Gong practitioners worldwide.
Clear interfaith solidarity
At this year’s IRF Summit, there was a clear and growing interfaith solidarity for Falun Gong, with leaders from diverse backgrounds speaking out against the CCP’s persecution. U.S. Representative Gus Bilirakis and former Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler condemned the CCP’s ongoing transnational repression against Falun Gong practitioners. Archbishop Anba Angaelos from the United Kingdom shared about the presence and bravery of Falun Gong practitioners who appeal 24/7 in front of the Chinese consulate in London.
Legal expert Amar Islam spoke about the need to designate the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong as genocide, pointing to the widespread and systematic efforts to eliminate the faith through imprisonment, torture, and ideological suppression. Greg Mitchell, co-chair of the IRF Roundtable, emphasized the importance of continued research and advocacy in exposing the CCP’s abuses. Stephen Schneck, the Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, also acknowledged the persecution of Falun Gong as an important issue that the commission is tracking. Meanwhile, award-winning Christian activist Eric Osben expressed his solidarity, recognizing the shared struggle for religious freedom across different faiths.
Former Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler offered heartfelt sympathy to Lydia Wang, a Falun Gong practitioner who shared her family’s harrowing story. As a mother herself, Hartzler expressed deep empathy for Wang’s experience—caught between persecution and grief, separated from her mother and forced to rebuild her life away from home.
“Persecution of Christians, Jews, Falun Gong, the Ahmadi and other religious minorities is unacceptable. The stories of suffering are heartbreaking and far too numerous. It is our collective responsibility to amplify the voices of those who are silenced by fear and repression.”
— Rep. Gus Bilirakis
This broad support signals a shift—Falun Gong is increasingly recognized as a crucial case in the global fight for religious freedom. From policymakers to faith leaders, many attendees affirmed their commitment to advocating for justice and ensuring that the persecution of Falun Gong does not go ignored.
Read about last year’s IRF Summit highlights below.
