Scientology --- Scientologists protest Moving Together organization's rally

Scientologists protest Moving Together organization's rally

Source: Interfax, 01/31/2003
Author(s): N.A.
AN: FT13416750696WIRA
Database: Newspaper Source
Scientologists protest Moving Together organization's rally

ST. PETERSBURG/MOSCOW. Jan 31 (Interfax) - The St. Petersburg office of the Church of Scientology has sent to the city's authorities its protest against the Moving Together organization's rally, an official from St.

Petersburg's administration told Interfax on Thursday

Moving Together activists started their indefinite rally on January 27.

They are currently living in a tent at the entrance to the religious organization's headquarters. "Our rally will continue until the administration either makes us leave or closes the sect," the organization's leader Vasily Yakemenko said

Meanwhile, Anton Lychkin, who heads the Church of Scientology's Moscow office, told Interfax that this religious organization is not a sect.

Rather, "it has been granted registration, and those who are protesting against its members are thus protesting against the authorities and may be trying to incite religious hatred."

At the same time, the Justice Ministry told Interfax that in spite of numerous attempts, the Church of Scientology did not obtain the re- registration that all Russian religious organizations were required to receive by January 31, 2000 to continue their activities.

The Church of Scientology has offices in many countries, including Russia. The Russian Orthodox Church regards this religious organization as a dangerous sect which pursues the idea of transforming the world to its own rules. [RU EUROPE EEU EMRG REL]

--- "If there is anyone here I've failed to insult--- I apologize." J. Brahms

Subject: Moving Together protests against Scientology sect in St.

Title: Moving Together protests against Scientology sect in St. Petersburg

Source: Interfax, 01/27/2003
Author(s): N.A.
AN: FT12214028728WIRA
Database: Newspaper Source
Moving Together protests against Scientology sect in St. Petersburg

MOSCOW. Jan 27 (Interfax) - Members of the Moving Together organization have started an indefinite rally in protest of the Church of Scientology on Vosstaniye Square in downtown St. Petersburg.

Vasily Yakemenko, the movement's leader, told Interfax on Monday that "the organization's activists have been living in a tent at the entrance to the sect's headquarters for the past five days. A huge sign indicates the sect's location to city authorities and passers-by.

Several tens of thousands of citizens have already signed a request to close the sect that will be sent to St. Petersburg Governor Vladimir Yakovlev," Yakemenko said.

He specified that the sect's victims already include hundreds of St.

Petersburg residents. That is why the city's public has given such strong support to the rally.

"We believe that this sect is a Satanic cult and poses a criminal threat. We hope that the city's authorities will take all the necessary steps to close the sect," he said, stressing that his organization intends to continue its protest until the sect has been fully removed.

[RU EUROPE EEU EMRG REL] tm aw <>

--- "If there is anyone here I've failed to insult--- I apologize." J. Brahms

Subject: Moscow City Court allows Church of Scientology activity

Title: Moscow City Court allows Church of Scientology activity

Source: Interfax, 07/18/2002
Author(s): N.A.
AN: FT12207672882WIRA
Database: Newspaper Source
Moscow City Court allows Church of Scientology activity

MOSCOW. July 18 (Interfax) - The Moscow City Court has not found any reasons to close the Moscow Church of Scientology.

The Justice Ministry demanded that the Church be closed on the

grounds that the religious organization did not undergo any re-

Lawyer Galina Krylova, who represented the Church in court, told Interfax that on Wednesday, the Moscow City Court supported an April 30 ruling by the Moscow Nikulinsky district court, which rejected a suit filed by the Moscow department of the Justice Ministry to liquidate the Church of Scientology.

However, Krylova said that the Nikulinsky court found that the

Church of Scientology is still operating and did not find that the

Church had violated the law in any way. It refused to satisfy the

Justice Ministry's suit and the Moscow City Court supported this

registration procedures, as stipulated by the Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations law. In addition, the Ministry maintained that the Church of Scientology in fact stopped its activities in Moscow.

ruling. [RU EUROPE ASIA EEU EMRG REL CRIM LAW] va mg < >

--- "If there is anyone here I've failed to insult--- I apologize." J. Brahms

Subject: Yekaterinburg Orthodox believers to protest against unconventional

Title: Yekaterinburg Orthodox believers to protest against
unconventional
Source: Interfax, 07/08/2002
Author(s): N.A.
AN: FT12219865930WIRA
Database: Newspaper Source
Yekaterinburg Orthodox believers to protest against unconventional

religious organizations

YEKATERINBURG. July 8 (Interfax) - On Saturday, Orthodox believers in Yekaterinburg are expected to hold a rally protesting against the activities of unconventional religious organizations.

Father Vladimir [Zaitsev], head of the Yekaterinburg diocese's missionary department, told Interfax that Orthodox believers intend to picket the Kosmos movie theater, where scientologists will celebrate the birthday of the organization's founder Ron Hubbard.

The demonstrators would like to give a clear picture to people about the nature of Scientology and its dangers, Zaitsev noted. In order to achieve this goal, officials of the diocese's missionary department have made leaflets and posters featuring exposing slogans.

The diocese said that the city is home to several thousand scientologists. "This organization is extremely dangerous to society.

Scientologists read books written by L. Ron Hubbard, and try to imitate him in everything. Hubbard himself is known as a Satanist, a paranoiac and a drug abuser," Zaitsev said.

He noted that in Yekaterinburg, scientologists act under the guise of a number of organizations, including the Urals Dianetics center, the Studen school, a public youth union and the Narkonon rehabilitation center for drug addicts. [RU EUROPE EEU EMRG ODD NEWS] tm rm <>

_____

Source: Interfax, JUL 08, 2002
Item: FT12219865930WIRA

--- "If there is anyone here I've failed to insult--- I apologize." J. Brahms

Go Back