Eleven Falun Gong practitioners are launching a lawsuit against China's former leader at the High Court in Auckland.
They claim during Jiang Zemin's rule they were tortured for taking part in the form of exercise and meditation known as Falun Gong.
A lawyer representing the group says the suit is part of a world wide case against the former President, who is accused of encouraging the persecution of Falun Gong.
Chris Lawrence says one man, who works as a taxi driver on the North Shore, claims when he returned to China to visit his mother in 1999 he was imprisoned and tortured.
He says similar law suits are being filed around the world by people from 19 other countries.