A transcript of this letter has now been added to http://cisar.org/000623a.htm as follows:

Paris takes a bead on sects Paris, France
June 23, 2000
Tages-Anzeiger, p. 7
The French National Assembly has tightened up numerous measures to combat the presence of sects. Protests abound.

by Juerg Schoch, Paris In France there are about 170 sects with more than 400,000 adherents. Several of these associations regularly incite anger and indignation. The Solar Temple tragedy is not forgotten, no more than the unexplained disappearance of important records for a trial which took place in September in Marseille against adherents of Scientology. Socialist Representative Raymond Forni stated at the time that he was not surprised at that sort of action, he rather assumed that the Scientologists enjoyed the protection of the Justice Department. He said that adherents of that sect had also tried to infiltrate the Rights Commission, of which he was chairman.

Forni has since been promoted to Chairman of the National Assembly, and that has now tightened up considerably its legal arsenal against abuses by sects - unanimously, which is the case on few issues. The text of the law proposes that sects which have two violations could be dissolved by court decision. The criminal responsibility of legal persona was greatly extended to cases of practicing medicine illegally, deceptive propaganda, inciting to suicide, etc. Suspicious organizations can be prohibited from establishing themselves in the vicinity of schools, hospitals and retirement homes.

They can also be refused construction permits if they already have entries in the criminal record.

Comparisons with Mussolini and China Most of the discussion centers around a newly created criminal act which is described, in short, as "mental manipulation." Three years imprisonment and a hefty fine are proposed for those who place others in "psychological or psychic dependency" or who use techniques which alter a person's ability to judge so that he commits deeds which involuntarily does him serious damage. The entire text describing this criminal act, which other states do not recognize, is not only long and complicated, but also "spongey," as lawyers and psychiatrists have criticized. That is because, at the clinical or legal level, specific words have various meanings.

Even though these experts wanted to remain anonymous out of fear of reprisals from sects, the sects, themselves, have already very sharply criticized the new proposal, especially the part describing the act of manipulation. The Moon Sect (Unification Church) sees parallels to anti-Semiticism, and a spokeswoman for the Scientologists has alleged that several similar laws on mental manipulation were passed by the Mussolini Regime in order to get rid of the communist opposition. On June 14th, American representatives of Churches and similar associations published an open letter in the International Herald Tribune to Premier Minister Jospin which warned explicitly, "If the repressive text becomes law, then the freedoms will be destroyed which make up the difference between China and France; because the government would then have everything it needed to dissolve religious organizations which do not suit them."

France's established churches also have reservations about the new proposals. Just as individual human rights associations have raised critical objections, though with other motives. France is the country of enlightenment and of free thought. A legislative paragraph on "mental manipulation"

could also be misused. In any case, the terrain on which the deputation finds itself is delicate. Justice Minister Guigou has commented that "complementary considerations" - the proposal still has to go before the Senate - could be useful.

--- Lord Russell-Johnston
President
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe 12th June 2000 Dear Lord Russell-Johnston, When we were able to meet last year I was able to brief you about certain problems concerning religious discrimination and what was a trend towards greater intolerance and discrimination in some countries of Western Europe.

Unfortunately, I am in the position of writing to you again with news of another violation of fundamental rights which is occurring right now in France.

A law proposal, which specifically targets religious minorities, was proposed on the 30th May to the French National Assembly and there is an attempt to push it through the whole legislative process within a matter of three weeks - i.e. by the 27nd June.

This has been done, almost certainly with the intent of stifling any debate or opposition to the bill. Having only found out about the proposal ourselves on the 6th June we, and others, are now seeking to point out the basic human rights violations contained in this law and the extremist nature to which it could be put to effect were it to be passed.

To illustrate the bias I believe to be evident, I found it quite amazing that the person who proposed the law on the 30th May, Ms. Picard, then went on to become elected to the Law Commission (the committee of the National Assembly which has to approve the law before it goes to the plenary), became the rapporteur for her own law proposition and (after we had made some public expose of the existence of the bill) has brought forward the date of her report (on her own bill) form the 21th June to the 14th June -- in my view simply with the intention of pushing it through the first burdle [sic] before there is any effective opposition to it.

I believe that you are concerned about respect for fundamental rights and I hope that you will be able to do something about this law proposition before it ever makes it through the Law Commission.

I am enclosing an analysis of the law and a copy of the law itself and am also sending a copy of this letter to the French members of the Parliamentary Assembly so they are fully aware of the issue concerned.

Furthermore, in order to bring it to the attention of the broader public I have also sent out a press release informing the media of the call that the Assembly made in June last year for governments to encourage dialogue and tolerance and not to create new legal measures and informing them of my letter to you.

I hope that you will be in a position to assist in what I consider to be an extremely serious violation of human rights were this law to be passed.

Yours sincerely, Martin Weightman
Director
European Human Rights Office
Church of Scientology
---
Joe Cisar: http://cisar.org/rfs0100.htm
Overview of Scientology in Germany: http://cisar.org/overview.htm
Save a Scientologist - http://mp3.cafepress.com/barbz
On-line book: http://members.tripod.com/German_Scn_News/has00.htm

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