Russian authorities and media continue to spread fake news, accusing the spiritual movement to conspire with the U.S. intelligence to incite “color revolutions.”
by Massimo Introvigne
Media outlets from Russia and China announced last week that a court in the Krasnodar Krai region in Russia has detained two individuals who were coordinating a local Falun Gong group. The arrests were confirmed by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Kuban.
A law enforcement source informed the state-owned wire agency “RIA Novosti” that a series of searches targeting members of the movement were carried out by security forces in Krasnodar Krai. These actions are part of the proceedings of a criminal case initiated in July, under Article 284.1 Part 3 of the Russian Criminal Code—pertaining to organizing the activities of an “undesirable” non-governmental organization.
Two individuals have been charged in connection with allegations of directing the activities of Falun Gong, deemed “undesirable” by the Russian Federation under Article 284.1, Part 3 of the Russian Criminal Code. Currently, at the behest of the Krasnodar Krai Investigative Committee investigator, both accused have been detained by court order, the report states. After the Ukrainian war, “undesirable” organizations are treated in Russia like those listed as “extremist” and their activities are prohibited.
The investigation revealed that between 2020 and 2023, the defendants were active members of Falun Gong, enlisted additional members, organized meetings, developed literature for distribution, and disseminated information online.
Officials carried out roughly twenty searches at the homes and premises used by supporters and leaders of the prohibited group, in locations including Krasnodar, Novorossiysk, Temryuk, Ust-Labinsk, and the Abinsky District. Devices for communication, illegal literature, and related items were discovered and confiscated.
Russian authorities took the opportunity to reiterate their support for Chinese propaganda and spread fake news according to which, “backed by the US State Department, Falun Gong tried to incite color revolutions in Russia and China. People who join the ranks of Falun Gong adherents first do gymnastics, and later they are manipulated: they are forced to refuse official medicine and commit ritual suicides.”
Massimo Introvigne (born June 14, 1955 in Rome) is an Italian sociologist of religions. He is the founder and managing director of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), an international network of scholars who study new religious movements. Introvigne is the author of some 70 books and more than 100 articles in the field of sociology of religion. He was the main author of the Enciclopedia delle religioni in Italia (Encyclopedia of Religions in Italy). He is a member of the editorial board for the Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion and of the executive board of University of California Press’ Nova Religio. From January 5 to December 31, 2011, he has served as the “Representative on combating racism, xenophobia and discrimination, with a special focus on discrimination against Christians and members of other religions” of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). From 2012 to 2015 he served as chairperson of the Observatory of Religious Liberty, instituted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to monitor problems of religious liberty on a worldwide scale.
