Forced organ harvesting and organ trafficking are interlinked crimes where organs are taken from victims through coercion or without informed consent and sold illegally, often making their way into the organ tourism transplant market. This means unknowing tourists undergoing organ transplants abroad are at-risk of receiving organs linked to organ trafficking and forced organ harvesting.
The U.K.’s Health and Care Bill has passed into law, a new piece of legislation that will prevent British nationals from traveling abroad to receive an organ transplant.
We are glad to see this bill passed into law. Over 31,000 of you in the Freedom United community have been calling on the U.K. and all governments to take action against organ transplant ‘tourism’ to help end organ trafficking and prevent people from being unwittingly complicit in organ trafficking.
International report on legal risks
Health Minister, Edward Agar, said in the Daily Express that this legislation would “send an unambiguous signal that complicity in the abuses associated with the overseas organ trade will not be tolerated.”
This comes after the International human rights firm, Global Rights Compliance, published a report last week on the legal risks of working with organ transplant professionals in countries where the risk of organ trafficking and forced organ harvesting is high.
The report states China’s state-authorized organized system of forced organ harvesting is the “worst-case scenario” drawing on extensive evidence detailing the horrific practice.
Dr. Enver Tothi speaks out
Providing evidence to Global Rights Compliance, Dr. Enver Tothi shared how medical professionals in China such as himself are coerced into taking part in this chilling system.
Dr Enver Tothi became involved in the illegal organ trade in China in 1995. He had been working as a cancer surgeon in Urumqui, northwest China, when his chief surgeon asked him if he “wanted to do something wild.”
Unaware of what was involved he agreed to meet the following morning outside his hospital with a van, two theatre nurses, two assistants and two anaesthetists. He was driven to the Western Mountain Execution Grounds where he heard a round of rifle shots.
As he was taken to the execution area he saw “more than 10” lying people on the mountain side in prisoner uniforms. All had been shorn and shot through the back of the head.
He was told by a police officer “that one is yours” and was ordered to “cut deep and work fast” on another victim in civilian clothes who he claimed had not been anaesthetised and who had been shot in the chest.
Dr. Enver Tothi now resides in the U.K. and works to raise awareness of organ trafficking and forced organ harvesting in China.
Keeping up the pressure
We’re proud of 31,000+ of you in the Freedom United community who have kept up the pressure to see the U.K. take action, our partners at the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China, and Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, Marie Rimmer MP for their leadership in driving forward this legislation.
Now let’s keep up the pressure to see other governments around the world follow suit!
Freedom United is interested in hearing from our community and welcomes relevant, informed comments, advice, and insights that advance the conversation around our campaigns and advocacy. We value inclusivity and respect within our community. To be approved, your comments should be civil.
I’m being asked to select which US state I’m in, with no option of saying that I don’t live in the US
The NHS is already a law unto itself & chooses who, what, where & when to suit their bottom line! I believe we should stop “illegal” harvesting, but not stop our choice to explore alternative treatments in UK or abroad, rather than pigeon holed into a one size fits all medical paradigm where if you wish to step off the merry go round you are penalised for seeking alternatives, when ALL alternatives should be explored as part of “informed consent”!
I am not “glad to see this bill passed into law”. I mourn – no, I rage against it! Its entire purpose is to break up the NHS in England into bite-sized pieces, making it National in name only, so they can accelerate their privatization agenda. So it also contains a paragraph banning organ transplant tourism? You could have said “We managed to sneak something good into this hypocritical bill designed to destroy the public healthcare system in England”. Please do your research next time!
Hello, Clare. Thanks for letting us know! Apologies for the inconvenience – we’ll look into that and get it sorted as soon as possible.