Zhao Leji Involved in Organ Harvesting Atrocities, Lawyer Urges Australia to Refuse Reception

Zhao Leji, the third-ranking official in the Chinese Communist Party (video screenshot)

[People News] As international organisations call for the United States to impose sanctions on Zhao Leji, a human rights lawyer has urged Australian politicians to refuse to host him, warning that doing so would harm the country's reputation. Global attention remains focused on Zhao Leji's alleged serious human rights violations and large-scale organ trafficking.

Madeleine Bridgett, an Australian lawyer and member of the End Transplant Abuse in China (ETAC) committee, emphasised that Australian leaders should be aware of their responsibilities and conduct 'Human Rights Due Diligence' when engaging with or cooperating with individuals who may be involved in or have committed serious violations of fundamental human rights.

Zhao Leji ranks just below Xi Jinping and Li Qiang within the Chinese Communist Party and currently serves as the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. He has been accused of extensive involvement in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners during his time as Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

On August 11, 2020, the U.S.-based Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) issued a specific notice regarding Zhao Leji's persecution of Falun Gong.

Reports from Minghui.org indicate that Zhao Leji disbanded the main organisation responsible for persecuting Falun Gong practitioners, known as the '610 Office,' in an effort to mitigate overseas scrutiny, while continuing these persecution activities through the Chinese Communist Party's Political and Legal Affairs Commission.

The Falun Dafa Infocenter has called on the U.S. government to impose sanctions on Zhao Leji this October (click here to watch).

Australian lawyer Bridget has stated that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has committed "some of the most heinous and serious crimes, including extreme violations of basic human rights—especially the right to life" against minority ethnic groups, such as Uyghurs and Falun Gong practitioners, who are "forcibly detained in concentration camps for cultural, religious, and belief reasons."

Bridget highlighted that the China Tribunal ruled in 2021 that there is no doubt the CCP has long engaged in the forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience, involving a significant number of victims. These illegal transplant surgeries "have made China one of the world's leading organ transplant industries," with Falun Gong practitioners "potentially being the primary source of (organs) for these procedures."

Canadian international human rights lawyer David Matas, Australian international human rights lawyer Madeleine Bridgett, and John Deller, spokesperson for the Australian Law and Falun Dafa Association, attended a seminar for the film "Organ Harvesting". (Jason Lin/Dajiyuan)

As of November 24, 2025, numerous first-hand reports indicate that the targets of forced organ harvesting by CCP agents and associated medical institutions are varied, including death row inmates, Uyghurs, Falun Gong practitioners, and social dissidents.

Numerous surveys have gathered similar evidence, and prominent scientific journals have published related articles. Serious concerns have been expressed by various entities, including the United Nations, the UK Parliament, the European Commission, and the US Congress.

Bridget's concerns have also received backing from David Matas, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and Canadian international human rights lawyer, who shared the same perspective during his visit to Australia in October.

Matas stated, "China's organ transplant system still lacks fundamental transparency and independent oversight." He further noted, "Establishing cooperative relationships in such an environment poses significant risks, not only potentially harming reputations but also implicating parties in serious human rights violations, which could lead to legal liabilities under international human rights law."

Zhao Leji's upcoming visit to Australia has attracted attention, especially since the Queensland government had previously conducted a discreet visit to Shanghai Renji Hospital.

Zhao Leji is set to travel to Australia following his visit to New Zealand, where he met with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Speaker of Parliament Gerry Brownlee.

While no special security measures were enacted in Wellington, New Zealand's capital, during Zhao's visit, officials and staff in Canberra, Australia, were informed on Monday (November 24) to set their mobile phones and tablets to "aeroplane mode" during Zhao Leji's visit to the Parliament building, with potential interruptions to wireless networks.

A few days ago, Zhao Leji conducted a two-day visit to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. In October of this year, the Queensland government faced scrutiny due to a trade visit to Shanghai Renji Hospital in China that was not publicly disclosed. This hospital is recognised as 'the largest liver transplant centre in China' and 'the largest pediatric liver transplant centre in the world.'

Maitas, an authoritative scholar on the issue of large-scale organ harvesting in China, expressed his concerns regarding Australian activities at Shanghai Renji Hospital, highlighting the hospital's involvement in cases of large-scale illegal organ harvesting.

Maitas mentioned that he faced obstacles when attempting to share his research findings at an organ transplant conference held in Brisbane.

(Reported by Dajiyuan reporters Rex Widerstrom and Daniel Y. Teng / Translated by Zeng Ziheng)
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