Falun Gong practitioners protest in 2002 in a Paris airport regarding the Icelandic government’s orders to Icelandair to not let Falun Gong practitioners on flights during a visit by the then head of the regime that rules China. (Clearwisdom.net)

Ossur Skarphedinsson, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said in Parliament today that on behalf of the Icelandic government, he apologizes to those [Falun Gong Practitioners] who arrived to Iceland in 2002, in regards to the Chinese president’s visit, for how they were treated by the government.

Margrét Tryggvadóttir, Member of Parliament, representing the New Icelandic Party, Hreyfingin, stated in an inquiry to the Minister in Althingi today that it was clear that the Icelandic authorities did violate the human rights of Falun Gong practitioners who had visited the country at that time. Their freedom of speech and freedom of expression were infringed upon.

Tryggvadóttir said that the Data Protection Authority and Ombudsman of Althingi had confirmed these facts. She asked Skarphedinsson why the Icelandic government had not apologized for their actions sooner.

Skarphedinsson said that it was quite certain that this type of occurrence would not reoccur under the present government. No one would be denied the right of expression and freedom of speech unless a group was listed as a criminal by international authorities.

“I can, on behalf of the Icelandic Government, here from this chair, offer those who came and experienced violations of this sort for an apology,” Skarphedinsson said. He also said that he had previously stated that laws were violated at that time.

Margrét welcomed this statement and urged the government as a whole to formally offer an apology in this matter. Skarphedinsson’s apology was “a great initiative,” she said.

[This article was translated by a volunteer for Friends of Falun Gong.]