http://www.mosnews.com/news/2004/03/11/hubbard.shtml

Bashkiria’s Scientology Branch Ruled Illegal Created: 11.03.2004

The Supreme Court of the Russian Republic of Bashkortostan has issued a ruling that the local Dianetics center must be closed, the independent newspaper Gazeta reports. The center advocates the teachings of the U.S. Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. It has said that the Russian Orthodox Church has a lot of political backup and may be involved.

The court has ruled that the church’s activity is illegal (it does not have a license to practice education or medicine) and destructive.

The Center for Dianetics opened in the city of Ufa in 1994 -- over 10 years, over two thousand people have studied in it. In 2001 the organization was accused of failing to pay taxes, but the charges were dropped.

The lawsuit was filed against the center in 2003 after it was discovered it had no proper licenses. Also, the regional prosecutor complained that the center’s teachings negatively affected the behavior of children. Representatives from the prosecutor’s office had also said that several people had given all their property to the center and left their families in order to join it.

A representative from the Dianetics center said the claims were unfounded, because the center does not position itself as a religious or medical organization, but as a civic one. She added that local authorities, including the security service, are supporting the Russian Orthodox Church in this matter.

© Gerry Armstrong http://www.gerryarmstrong.org

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