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From: martinottmann@yahoo.com (Martin Ottmann)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: "Meeting with expert M. A. Sivertsev" - Russian OSA memo from July 11th, 1997
Date: 30 Jan 2003 14:30:27 -0800
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11 July 1997.

Meeting with expert M.A.Sivertsev.

Subject: The current scene and the religion law.

Mr. Sivertsev has the current antireligion activity influencing his
own life. In the past 3 years or more he was employed in the struture
of Stateduma, Federal Council and President Administration as expert
on various issues incl religion and international relations.

Earlier this year he had a battle with the administration and lost it.
So he lost several jobs. The reason: his expertise on Scientology and
his open promotion of factual information on Scientology. Dvorkin was
behind the battle against Sivertsev. Sivertsev is Jewish of
confession. Thus he does not belong to the longtime "traditional
church".

- About the religion law he gave the following prognosis: Based on
what he knows there are a majority of interests also at the President
Administration level who would advocate the law to be signed by
Yeltsin. Thus it would be signed. The scene will not improve but on
the contrary worsen. Therefore now is the time to create new
organizational structure to handle the religion discrimination. There
are no ways nor means within Russia to care for religious freedom. The
interests behind the law are not connected with religion but solely
with politics. The courts in Russia are not usefull for justice.
Therefore it is vital to build an organizational body within
international law which can receive support from the US, EU etc. The
organization should aim to care for religion refugees to be given
leeway to go to another place where they can work and live without
interference due to their religion. They should achieve status as
"refugees" at social and political level. Sivertsev compared this with
the organization ALARM in Germany and other countries for the purpose
of handling situation for German Scientologists with discrimination
from Government. He himself now experience the current discrimination
and in the past regime in Russia he also experienced it. He does not
see this situation will change in reality. He several times mentioned
that Russia is a culture with provokations against the citizens.

The interest for the refugee organization would be many religions as
the scene affects these. Thus we should liaise and work broadly to
create and run such organization but only with international structure
so it can receive support from abroad. Within Russia the funds for
such org would not be safe.

Besides the above input on the current scene Sivertsev expressed his
disagreement on us having given attention to Dvorkin e.g. in the court
case against him as such attention equals advertisement for Dvorkin.
Further he asked why we did not use the fact that Dvorkin has US
citizenship and was in the US for quite some time and then locate his
whereabouts and his connections while he was over there? This would be
possible he said. The point is there are some vested interests
connected with Dvorkin, Sivertsev mentioned that he knew Dvorkin was
connected with the American Orthodox Church.

Also Sivertsev mentioned that this current scene with discrimination
will work to our benefits in this culture so it will mean more
expansion for Scientology in Russia.

I recommend we get data here on the structure of ALARM org to see it's
possible usefullness and we get from lawyer Tjaika input on what type
of org to build per the idea of Sivertsev with pulling donations from
abroad and actually doing real refugee work and getting people
relocated away from Russia or relocated from one area of Russia to
another. This would be real org to run with posted persons. This would
be vehicle for many events which would reflect in the media with our
message on the need for freedom in Russia. Would create international
impact and put the scientologists on the front pages. We do need to
invest in research in the US on Dvorkin and get him out of Russia or
fully D.A.ed.

This is OK
Birthe