Title: Human Rights Rep.1999: Russia - Co$
Author: xenurules@hotmail.com
Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2000 04:37:38 GMT

http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/1999_hrp_report/russia.html



The Moscow procurator general and approximately 70 members of the FSB,

Federal Tax Police, and local police raided two locations of the Church

of Scientology in Moscow on February 25. According to church officials,

the authorities confiscated documents, including tax records and priest-

penitent privileged counseling records. The raids continued over 3

days. The tax police say that they are investigating possible tax

evasion and other financial irregularities. Although there were earlier

press reports that two church members were beaten, Western diplomats

received no confirmation of this incident. On October 6, a Moscow

district court revoked the operating license of a social center

affiliated with the Church of Scientology because mistakes were made

allegedly in the center's license application materials in 1993.

Officials for the center acknowledge the mistake, but insist that it

was corrected a few years ago; they intend to appeal the decision. The

ruling was made under the law on social organizations (not the 1997

religion law) and does not appear to affect directly the functioning of

the Church of Scientology. However, church officials believe that the

ruling is part of a broader attack on the Church and its activities.

The Church of Scientology is seeking to reregister both its social

organization and its religious organization.



[snap]

In March the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church stated

that it considers the Church of Scientology to be a dangerous sect that

can have a negative impact on individuals and families. A spokesman for

the Patriarchate said that it wanted the activities of the Church of

Scientology to be scrutinized by the appropriate legal entities. These

comments came immediately after Moscow police raided the offices of the

Church of Scientology (see Section 2.c.).