Italian Senator Honors Doctor for Exposing Organ Harvesting
Dr. Katerina Angelakopoulou was acknowledged for her efforts in unveiling the persecution faced by Falun Gong, a religious community she is a part of.
Various women from different backgrounds were welcomed to the Italian Senate to share their experiences—among them, a physician committed to upholding medical ethics and bringing attention to an ongoing yet lesser-known human rights violation.
The event, titled “Stories of Excellent Italian Women,” took place on March 21, and paid tribute to women who have stood out through their selfless service and positive contributions to society.
Senator Cinzia Pellegrino, a member of Italy’s ruling party who sponsored the event, mentioned, “We aim to change the narrative that often portrays women solely as victims of challenges and discrimination. In Italy, there are numerous remarkable women who deserve recognition for their true qualities: bravery, expertise, and accomplishments.”
One of the awardees was Dr. Katerina Angelakopoulou, a member of Washington-based advocacy organization Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH).
Dr. Katerina Angelakopoulou (L), president of the Italian Falun Dafa Association, accepts the Excellent Woman award from Senator Cinzia Pellegrino (R) on March 21, 2025. Senato TV
According to DAFOH, in China, the traditional norms of organ donation are reversed. Instead of patients waiting for a suitable donor, potential donors—usually prisoners of conscience—are detained and used as a live organ bank. The organization believes this is facilitated by state-sanctioned, organized killings on demand as part of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) crackdown on Falun Gong.
Falun Gong, also referred to as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice involving meditative exercises and teachings based on truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Since 1999, the CCP has been actively working to eradicate this practice both domestically and internationally.
A Commitment to Life Saving
Being a Falun Gong follower herself, Angelakopoulou leads as the president of the Italian Falun Dafa Association and has dedicated years to raising awareness about the atrocities committed against the community, particularly forced organ harvesting by the CCP.
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“My encounter with this persecution was during my medical studies. Since then, both as a student and later as a doctor, I have dedicated myself to ending it—to saving lives,” Angelakopoulou stated during her speech.
Stressing the ethical duty of the medical field, she has consistently advised patients against seeking transplants in China, cautioning them against inadvertently participating in the crimes of the communist regime.
Expressions of Solidarity
Another recipient of the award, Bich Lien Nguyen, a cardiologist and university researcher, expressed support for victims of forced organ harvesting, which includes Uyghur Muslims and Chinese Christians.
“These are abhorrent crimes that we, living in a democratic society that protects individual freedom, can scarcely fathom,” Nguyen remarked. “I wholeheartedly stand in solidarity with all that has been said—these acts are unacceptable anywhere in the world.”
Anthropologist Vienna Eleuteri, also recognized as an “Excellent Italian Woman,” acknowledged that while she was aware of such atrocities, she had not fully understood the extent of this specific case.
“From an anthropological perspective, the issue of human rights is highly significant—not merely as a theoretical or general exercise,” Eleuteri commented. “I believe there is a dire need to redefine this topic so that human rights become rights for everyone. There is much to deliberate on regarding this matter.”
As a member of the Italian Senate’s Human Rights Commission, Pellegrino praised Angelakopoulou’s dedication to unveiling the crimes against Falun Gong followers.
“I want to highlight the incredible value and significance of your commitment—far from being taken for granted—in safeguarding the rights of a religious minority persecuted by the Chinese regime simply for upholding principles of freedom and self-determination,” she noted.
She added that Beijing could gain valuable insights from Falun Dafa’s altruistic, compassionate, and community-centric values.
“There is no need for conversion, only a reminder that every individual has the right to bodily inviolability and independent thought.”
Alessandro Starnoni and Gabriele Esposito of The Epoch Times Italia contributed to this report.
