I was checking through the older archives of "L'Unione Sarda", the Italian online newspaper that recently spread the news about the extortion case in Sardinia.

I found this funny "specification" made by Italian Scn spokeman Fabio Amicarelli in 1997, in reference to a previous article published by the newspaper, Re. KEFE outlawed in Greece.

It seems that Amicarelli is trying to convince us that KEFE was shut down on the basis of a fake petition - and not after a regular trial.

But what raised my curiosity is his claim that Scn was regularly operating in Greece in early 1997.

Anybody knows anything more specific? Tony?

Martini
===========

http://www.unionesarda.it/unione/1997/22%2D02%2D97/22%2D02%2D97%5Fpub02%5Fa01.html (scroll down, last entry)

(quick translation)

Scientology in Greece

Referring to your article dated Jan 21st [1997] ("Scientology outlowed in Greece"), I'd like to point out what follows:

In one complaint already filed by the Church of Scientology it is made known that the "petition" on which are based the proceedings which lead to the decision towards KEFE (Applied Philosophy Center of the Church) in Athens, actually contains signatures outrageously forged.

This "petition" is the "proof" used againt the Church to justify its deregistration as "non orthodox".

Kefe's lawyers were able to examine the proceedings acts only last October, discovering that the "petition" undersigned by 4,000 people (with which it was asked the closing down of Kefe), was actually forged.

Infact, once obtained, the document was given to a well known Greek lawyer and expert calligraphist, George N. Chalkias, who concluded that the document contained "signatures" pretending to be written by different people, but infact they were written by the same hand, one after the other.

Moreover, otherwise than the news spread, I'm informing you that the Scientology association in Greece is open, and it continues to deliver religious services to its followers.

FABIO AMICARELLI
Affari Pubblici
Scientology d'Italia
Milano

> Anybody knows anything more specific? Tony?

I don't think that Tony reads ars a lot these days. I read the letter and I think Amicarelli states a lot of horseshit.

Here is a summary from a report I wrote, which deal with the legal proceedings in Greece. I hope that helps:

[...] Contrary to the course of events in France, where police investigations triggered more intelligence operations by the Scientologists, three police raids on June 9th, September 27th and November 6th of 1995 at a Scientology mission in Athens, Greece put at least a legal end to such activities.

At the beginning of the investigation by the police were several complaints, filed by members of the "Pan Hellenic Parents Association"

(PEG). The PEG, a union of parents and relatives of cult members, had complained, among other things, that their children had disconnected from them due to the influence of the Scientology organization.

After a negative television documentary on Scientology by the "Teletora" television channel had been aired on May 5th, an investigating judge from the District Court in Athens ordered prosecutor Ioannis Angelis to start an investigation into the activities of Scientology's "Center of Applied Philosophy of Greece"

(KEPHE).

Three raids were conducted during the next six months and the police seized about a truck load of material, consisting of Scientology "E-meters," "pc-folders," but also carbon files, computers and floppy discs with encrypted documents from the local "Office of Special Affairs."

[...]

When it was clear, especially after the third raid that a criminal suit would follow, the Church of Scientology evidently stepped up its efforts to stop Angelis' investigation and an upcoming trial, which would expose the activities of the Office of Special Affairs.

First, two investigators from OSA International visited Angelis to persuade him to drop the charges against KEPHE. Both claimed to be former agents of the Drug Enforcement Agency, and one of them, Kevin P. Finnerty, did later some work for Scientology in Switzerland.

When this did not help, Scientology tried to get help from the U. S.

government, and the State Department promptly tried to intervene in the judicial process: during a social gathering, the then ambassador for the U. S, Thomas Nails, told the members of the Greek Supreme Court who were present that the Greek justice should respect the freedom of religion of Scientology.

Despite all such means to stop the investigation and the legal procedure, Angelis finally started a criminal prosecution on June 17th, 1996 with a 100-page report about the activities of KEPHE [Exh.

No. 305, Excerpt]. The report stated:

"... a) Files are maintained for certain people (members or non-members), the contents of which are kept secret and classified, even by those interested and concerned members.

"b) Many people are asked to sign the Statement of Law 1599/86 (also known as Law 104) that KEPHE has no responsibility in case they commit suicide. ...

"... d) The Center is employing Ethics Officers and Ethics Courts, to punish those who violate its Ethics Code.

"e) The family life of the members is monitored, for unknown reasons and orders are issued for ‘handling.'

"f) The criminal or unethical actions of the members are recorded for unknown reasons, without precluding the possibility for the purpose of blackmailing them.

"g) Members are praised, in writing, for conducting unethical or criminal actions.

"The most important, however, is that the Center has a Department of Special Affairs or Office of Special Affairs, which conducts monitoring of people and reports their movements to unidentified centers abroad.

"The court has started to investigate this case after complaints from parents, whose children joined KEPHE. Many of them - it is said to be over 4.000 - have collected signatures, asking the District authorities to shut the Center down. ...

"... On November 6,1995 a third investigation was conducted during which various folders and documents were seized. Some of these folders concerned those people who received courses in the Academy, as KEPHE says and others were about people unrelated to KEPHE functions, such as ‘Archbishop Seraphim,' ‘DISTINGUISHED CLERGYMEN,' ‘L HANDLING PGM,' ‘OUT ETHICS of clergymen,' ‘DSA BASIC,' ‘DAGUNAKI VICTORIA,' ‘ADFI,' ‘DIAMADIDIS Spyros,' ‘BOSNACOUDIS Anthony,' ‘ARMS,' ‘ENTHETA REPORTERS,' ‘THE PRIEST,' ‘PRO OC,' ‘PENTELI ARM,' ‘SKY FLASH - TELETORA,' ‘P. PROSECUTOR,' ‘AMERICAN CONSULTANT,' ‘GREECE RAID,' ‘ANTI ARM,' ‘MP's NIKOLOPOULOS.'

"... It must be noted that the documents and the rest of the seized evidence are the non-important ones of the KEPHE-association, since the important documents were sent abroad through post or by a special messenger and were kept in a place that was not detected by this investigation. This is clearly demonstrated by document, No. 00067, where OSA EU is demanding Ilias Gratsias, ... , and others

"a) to provide a safe address in order to send him sensible information,

"b) to consider the ‘security' factor when sending his reports and, if necessary, change the real names, stated in the documents. ...

"From all the above real facts, for which no doubt exists, since they are proven through certain documents, it is clearly demonstrated, that the Civil Code Association under the name ‘Centre of Applied Philosophy of Greece (KEPHE),' based in Athens (200 Patission Str.), not only has purposes different than those determined in its statutes, but also its actions, purpose and operation have become illegal and immoral and are against public order (Article 105, per 3 A.K.).

Therefore, this report must be conveyed, alongside the attached and other relevant documents, to the Attiki Prefecture, in order to receive consideration in the ongoing Administrative and financial control. ...

"Finally, a copy of this report will be sent to the Supreme Court Prosecutor inform on the issue of the monitoring of political persons."

On December 20th 1996 the District Court issued its verdict and ordered the dissolution of KEPHE for its misrepresentation of its activities [Exh. No. 306]. About KEPHE's activities the court stated:

"... As a result from the above, the Association is exercising financial/for-profit business and depending on its interests, keeping a cover of either a philosophical association or as a religious identity.

"It is not an independent organization, but it is under a strict hierarchical structure of international level, under the control and supervision of foreign organizations and centers, something that contradicts the country's public order (Civil Code Article 33).

"... FOR THESE REASONS

"... Orders the dissolution/liquidation of the association with the name "CENTRE OF APPLIED PHILOSOPHY," based in Athens (200 Patission Str.)."

The Church of Scientology appealed that decision, but the Appeals Court of Athens later upheld the earlier ruling on December 19th, 1997. Scientology appealed again, this time to the Supreme Court, but withdrew it later, on May 11th, 1998 [Exh. No. 307] and the dissolution of KEPHE became final.

That did not stop the Scientologists to continue their operations, as right after the first verdict by the District Court, the Scientologists moved to incorporate a newly formed "religious corporation" on January 9th, 1997 [Exh. No. 308]. KEPHE had been a nonreligious, philosophical association. The assets of KEPHE were subsequently, and illegally, transferred to the new corporation. The local authorities did not follow up these new illegalities.

Nevertheless the judicial ordeal for the Scientologists did not end with the KEPHE-trial, as 15 individual Scientology staff members, including the two directors of the Office of Special Affairs, Ilias Gratsias and Katherina Diamandara, had to face criminal charges for their monitoring and spying on their perceived enemies. On May 11th, 1999 the Appeals Court in Athens pronounced the defendants as guilty, issued a verdict condemning the past intelligence operations but did not order a sentence as no motion for such was presented by the prosecution [Exh. No. 309]:

"Verdict

"... In Athens and during the time period from May 15th, 1994 until September 17th, 1995 having done more than once, which constitutes a repetition of such an act they were willingly to commit, that is, with unified powers, with a bad intention, through a joined decision and combined operation, they offended others by insulting their honor, credibility and privacy.

"Specifically that was done by the President, Vice-President and members of the Board and other members of the association with the name of KEPHE.

"... They were involved in a coordinated and systematic monitoring and collection of information, related to the private, social, professional and public activities, to the philosophical, religious and political views, ... of public figures, of political and judicial authorities, of journalists, such as the Archbishop Seraphim, religious official Antoni Alevizopoulos, Supreme Court judge Ilias Spiropoulos, District Court judges Iannis Angelis and Georgios Gerakis, politicians Miltiadis Evert, Antonis Samaras, Andreas Lentaki, Kunalakis and journalists Victoria Dagounaki, Dimitri Rizos, Michalopoulos, etc. and the subsequent filing and indexing of the obtained information into individual files and dossiers, from which then later data was sent to foreign centers which collected such confidential information.

"By such insulting practice they were involved through a common will and through a joined decision, all of them being aware about the common perception by the general public on such insulting acts, about the moral and social standing of the above mentioned persons, a fact, that definitely violates their credibility, honor and privacy.

"Decided, published subsequently and publicly,

"Athens, May 11th, 1999.

The State Department obviously did not bother to review this verdict before it issued its Human Rights Report in 2000, in which it referred to it briefly under the chapter "Freedom 106 of Religion" in Greece and stated erroneously that the 15 Scientologists were acquitted on charges and all they had done was to file press clippings. [...]

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