Falun Gong Practitioners in Finland Assaulted, Attackers Claim Link to Chinese Embassy

In January 2025, two Chinese men attacked a Falun Gong practitioner who was handing out materials next to a Falun Gong banner in a Helsinki park in Finland. Two local media outlets Helsingin Uutiset and Vantaan Sanomat reported on the incident and the Helsinki police department confirmed it has received reports of the attack. The case is the latest in a series of assaults on Falun Gong practitioners outside China; the Falun Dafa Information Center has documented at least six similar cases since September 2024 amid a broader escalation in People’s Republic of China-linked transnational repression targeting Falun Gong practitioners globally.

Incidents in a Helsinki park

Sibelius Park, an iconic site in Helsinki, is frequented by Chinese tourists arriving on buses daily. The park has also become a focal point for Falun Gong practitioners engaging in efforts to educate the public and Chinese people about the persecution in China. According to one news report, every day, several Falun Gong practitioners, including Mr. Niu Guangfa, gather near the Sibelius monument to distribute informational materials related to Falun Gong, display banners condemning the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of Falun Gong, and collect signatures demanding an end to these alleged human rights abuses.

On January 16, 2025, at approximately 1:00 p.m., while alone at the site, Mr. Niu noticed two young Chinese men hiding behind a tree, filming his activities. Acting quickly, he began recording the unfolding scene on his mobile phone. Moments later, one of the men lunged at him, cursing and simultaneously recording the encounter. The assailant attempted to seize Mr. Niu’s phone, pushing him back over thirty feet before finally forcing him onto a stone near the Sibelius statue. Amid the chaos, Mr. Niu used a second mobile device to call his son and request police assistance.

When the police arrived, Mr. Niu reported the incident with the help of fellow Falun Gong practitioners. They provided audio recordings, videos, and photos as evidence. In one recording, an attacker is heard declaring, “Whatever happens, I’m not afraid. We already reported you to the Chinese Embassy,” following Mr. Niu’s warning of imminent police involvement.

This is not an isolated assault, according to Minghui.org, an overseas website that compiles cases of Falun Gong persecution in China and abroad. On September 21, 2024, two local female Falun Gong practitioners experienced a similar episode in the same park. Two young Chinese men approached the women, knocked down the banners, and threatened, “If you want to be safe in Finland, behave!” After leaving briefly, the men returned to photograph the fallen banners and the practitioners, claiming the images would be forwarded to the Chinese Embassy.

These attacks, captured on multiple mobile phones, underscore the growing concerns of the harassment directed at Falun Gong practitioners in the Finnish capital. Given the assailants’ mention of ties to the Chinese embassy, the Falun Dafa Information Center urges Finnish authorities to investigate these links and respond to any malign activities that may violate local laws accordingly.

The latest incident in Finland is one of six that have occurred since September in which Falun Gong practitioners engaging in activism or protest have faced assault or harassment by pro-Beijing Chinese. The other cases occurred in New York (Brooklyn and Port Jervis), Argentina, and Brazil.