Scientology on trial in France

[ColbertWatcher]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/09/france.religion

Church of Scientology faces fraud trial in France

Angelique Chrisafis in Paris
The Guardian, Tuesday September 9 2008
Article history
A French judge has ordered two branches of the Church of Scientology and seven of its leaders to stand trial for fraud, in the latest of a series of French legal battles against the organisation promoted by celebrities such as Tom Cruise.

Judge Jean-Christophe Hullin ruled that the Scientologists' operational centres in France, its "Celebrity Center" and its bookshop, along with seven church leaders should be tried for "organised fraud" and "illegally practising as pharmacists". He ignored the recommendation of the public prosecutor who had earlier said the case should be shelved.

The Church of Scientology denounced the case as "empty and concocted", and said the woman who filed the complaint had been reimbursed.

In 1995, the first French Church of Scientology association was dissolved for not paying taxes after it was refused special church status. The group claims to have thousands of French members, despite fraud convictions for officials in Lyon in 1997 and Marseille in 1999. In 2003, a Paris court fined the organisation for keeping personal information on its members.

Alternate link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7604311.stm">BBC

[Bobbieo]

1. Are pharmaceutical companies fighting the Scientologists?

[ColbertWatcher]

2. I don't know, why? n/t

[Bobbieo]

3. Because they generally discourage the use of pharmceuticals

don't they - in their philosophy.

[ColbertWatcher]

4. True, I've just never heard of any trial or threat of a lawsuit. n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

5. Countdown kick. n/t