Russia fined for refusing to recognize Scientology church

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Published time: October 02, 2009 19:07
Edited time: August 15, 2010 19:38

Scientology in Russia

“We have waited for this decision for more than eight years, and never doubted it would be in our favor,” said Nina de Castro. “We have big plans for Russia. Currently we have about 40 groups and we hope all of them will soon be recognized as churches.”

The Scientology church was registered in the Siberian city of Surgut back in 1994 as a non-governmental organization, but it was soon banned for performing religious activities. They repeated their registration attempt as an NGO in 1999, but without success. The authorities also refused their effort to gain legal status as a religious organization in 2000.

Scientologists in Nizhnekamsk in in the Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan didn’t get their recognition in 1999 due to the so-called “rule of 15 years” included in the law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations. According to Article 9 of the act, a local religious organization may only be founded by a religious group "which has a confirmation of their existence in the territory for at least 15 years or confirmation of entry into the structure of a centralized religious organization of the same religion."

The lawsuit

Scientologists filed lawsuits in the European Court of Human Rights in 2001 and 2003. They claimed that the Russian authorities had violated Articles 9 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (freedom of thought, conscience and religion and freedom of expression), as well as Articles 11 (freedom of assembly and association) and 14 (prohibition of discrimination).

The case against Russia was launched in 2005.

Vladimir Ivanov, a scientology sympathizer in the past, says the salvation promised by the group doesn’t come cheap.

“This organization has no right to call itself a church,” he said. “It’s a sophisticated financial pyramid whose main goal is – through psychological pressure – to pump money out of people or make them serve as church personnel for absolute pennies.”

“The only reason why they want to be a church is to avoid paying taxes,” Ivanov said.

Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices founded in the early 1950s by sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard. It is legally recognized in the U.S. and some European countries.

The religion teaches that people are immortal spiritual beings who have forgotten their true nature. Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and John Travolta are Scientology’s most famous followers.

A legal case against the Church of Scientology is underway in France at the moment. The prosecutor’s office there is demanding the dissolution of the basic structures of the organization in the country.

Comments (29)

aleistair 24.11.2011 12:19

So you are sorry larry, but you dont have the right from countries to stop banning religions that are harmful or religious rights that are harmful to people. like sacrificing humans for their belief.
as it certainly is harmful to other religions that are peaceful and certainly to non-religious people have the right not to be harmed by scientology or simular death cults. and simular corporations.

nor do you larry have the right to stop countries from banning corporations that are trying to pretend to be a religion to get tax evasion and continue their quack medicin. instead they will be stopped and banned for harming people due to them being just...quack medicin. since quackery is illegal and so by such logic so is scientology illegal since their way of "helping people" has proven to be harmful physically with their quckery ways and psychologal damaging. meaning you are supporting such evil.
stop scientologist like larry, keep going russia! ban this evil Corporation!

Undo

aleistair 24.11.2011 12:14

continuation-

"the assertion that this is the sole motivation for wanting church recognition is absurd.""
the assertion that its NOT one of the main reasons and the sole motivation for wanting church recognition for tax relief is absurd.

"As Mom allways said "son, two wrongs don't make a right" First wrong is the Russian Government telling someone that they cannot worship in a certin way"

two rights correct a wrong. first wrong is you telling russia that it cannot worship by harming other people like a death cult that sacrificies people. that you certainly dont have the right to. any religious freedom to harm people certainly can be forbidden in the same way pedophilia and death threats can be forbidden. oh and taking hearts out and sacrificing them sure can be forbidden aswell. so is scientology in its harmful way. both physical and psychological. so your argument got proven wrong by simple logic and facts

it also certainly can ban things that pretend to be a religion to keep its corporation going, thats for sure. you dont have the right to try to stop people from abolishing religions that are harmful like a human sacrifice cult nor scientology, nor have you the right to stop countries or groups or people from banning things that are harmful that pretend to be a religion. nor have you the right to stop people from practicing quack medicin.

Undo

aleistair 24.11.2011 12:13

"There are a lot easier ways to avoid taxes than gaining and maintaining religious status. "
there is not a single easier way(not being easier) to avoid taxes than gaining and maintaining religious status" and it CERTAINLY is easier to trick people to think when the things FAILS that its not a QUAKERY(check wiki on quackery, fake medicine) and that taking a sauna and sweating the radiatio away is obvious quackery and fake medicine.

loo king at l ron hubbars previous quackery and trickery, it proves to be FACT that he made it up falsely.

both before the scientology CORPORATION he created, check his crimes, then check the crimes he did IN the corporation.

fair game
operation snowwhite
those alone proves it.

So yes, having a religion and trying to use the word "church" and a "cross" (search youtube for l ron hubbard thinking the cross was false and story about jesus christ was false but people related to him) meaning he took the cross to his own use to trick people like his earlier trick to think its a religion. while scientology corporation has nothing to do with jesus christ or any scientology organisation has nothing to do with christianity nor jesus christ. meaning the scientology cross is a fraud with the rest of scientology practicies.

Undo

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