FALLS CHURCH, Virginia — On Oct. 29, a screening of the award-winning documentary State Organs brought together human rights advocates, medical professionals, researchers, and local residents to examine the heinous practice of forced organ harvesting in China, as well as the challenges of bringing global attention to the issue.
Held at George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church, Virginia, the event featured a screening of the film followed by a panel discussion addressing China’s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, the psychological impact on survivors, and legislative efforts to combat transplant-related human rights abuses. The event was organized by the Rotary Club of Tysons Corner, the District 7610 Action Group Against Slavery, and the End Forced Organ Harvesting Rotary Satellite Club.
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Released in 2024, State Organs follows two Chinese families searching for missing relatives over two decades. Their experiences form the basis of an investigation into allegations that prisoners of conscience have been targeted and killed for their organs within China’s nebulous transplant system.
A filmmaker’s mission to give victims a voice
Cindy Song, producer of State Organs, told attendees that her motivation came from learning about families whose loved ones had vanished after reported encounters with Chinese authorities. Similar concerns have been documented by United Nations (UN) human rights experts and other U.S. congressional hearings.
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Song described the case of a 17-year-old boy whose family believed military service could provide him with a better future. According to Song, the boy was detained, medically tested, and killed after his organs were found to be compatible with those of senior officials. “I want to [be a] voice for the voiceless,” she said.
She also described efforts to disrupt screenings overseas. In January 2026, the Chinese Embassy in Paris reportedly pressured a cinema in La Baule, France, to cancel a screening of State Organs. According to the Falun Dafa Information Center, embassy officials contacted both the cinema and local authorities, but the screening proceeded after the mayor refused to intervene.
Ricardo Noserale, president of the Rotary Club of Falls Church, said the film’s most harrowing and touching moments involved families searching for children and relatives who never returned from China. “It’s unbelievable that this is happening in China,” he told Vision Times.
Among those attending was also Jack, a Stafford County, Virginia, resident who traveled with his son, Colt. Jack expressed frustration that claims surrounding China’s transplant industry have received relatively little attention in mainstream American media. “We report many things in this country, but we don’t report those,” he said. Colt described the documentary as “really good.”
Prolongued psychological trauma
Mark Yang, a researcher with the Falun Dafa Information Center, discussed the persecution of Falun Gong. Yang said practitioners continue to face detention, surveillance, and pressure to renounce their beliefs. He also described threats directed at advocates overseas, including threatening communications he said he personally received.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice rooted in the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Despite being peaceful in nature, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under the behest of then-leader Jiang Zemin launched a brutal campaign to eradicate the practice in July 1999 after seeing its rapid rise in popularity as a threat to its authoritarian regime.
Dr. Jessica Russo, mental health adviser to Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, addressed the psychological consequences for people who believe they were targeted for organ removal. “Imagine you are in detention. You have no control, no power. You can’t get out, and you’re being threatened with death,” Russo told the audience.
She described survivors reporting unexplained blood tests and medical examinations while being held in detention, which investigators have raised concerns may have been used to assess organ compatibility. Russo also recounted the experience of a woman who escaped China after coming close to having her organs removed. She said the woman’s recovery from severe psychological trauma took years.
Investigating China’s transplant system
Jan Jekielek, author of Killed to Order: China’s Organ Harvesting Industry and the True Nature of America’s Biggest Adversary, discussed evidence that first prompted him to investigate systematic organ harvesting. He recalled reports emerging in 2005 and 2006, including testimony concerning detained Falun Gong practitioners and unusually short waiting times for organ transplants in China.
Jekielek argued that the ability to schedule certain transplant procedures within weeks raises serious questions about how organs are procured, particularly when compatible donors would ordinarily be difficult to find and would take much longer. He also praised grassroots organizations for sustaining public awareness. “I really believe that grassroots effort is where things matter the most, where you can make the most of an actual difference,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government has denied accusations of forced organ harvesting, maintaining that its transplant system operates through voluntary donations.
But human rights investigators and advocacy organizations have challenged those claims, citing a substantial body of evidence gathered over nearly two decades, including eyewitness testimony, recorded conversations with Chinese hospitals, transplant data, and findings from an independent tribunal that concluded prisoners of conscience had been subjected to forced organ harvesting on a significant scale.
Legislative action and public awareness
Panelists also discussed the Falun Gong and Victims of Forced Organ Harvesting Protection Act, or S. 4009, which passed the U.S. Senate unanimously on Sept. 28. The legislation would require federal reporting on forced organ harvesting in China and authorize targeted sanctions against individuals involved in the practice. The bill now moves to the House, where lawmakers must approve the Senate’s amended version before it can be sent to the president to be signed into law.
Amelia Stansell, who moderated the discussion and serves in anti-slavery advocacy efforts, told Vision Times that her involvement reflects a personal commitment to defending human rights regardless of religious or social background.
“I would hope that somebody would risk themselves for me if it was me and my family, right?” she said, adding that she hopes to raise awareness of forced organ harvesting and encourage attendees to organize additional screenings, share information, and engage lawmakers to take more concrete action.
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