A court in Brussels recently dismissed charges that could have banned the Church of Scientology in the country on grounds of being a criminal enterprise after the judge in question said the defendants were being targeted because of their religion.
Eleven members of the United States-based, celebrity-backed church and two affiliated bodies were charged with extortion, fraud, illegal practice of medicine, violating the right to privacy and running a criminal enterprise.
“The entire proceedings are declared inadmissible for a serious and irremediable breach of the right to a fair trial,” the presiding judge, Yves Regimont, said last month.
He also criticized investigators involved in the 18-year-long inquiry of Scientology in Belgium for being prejudiced; and he criticized the prosecutors for dodging the case against the religion.
“The defendants were prosecuted primarily because they were Scientologists,” Regimont added.
This case was the subject of a seven-week-long trial that ended in December 2015.
“It’s a relief,” Scientology’s spokesman in Belgium, Eric Roux, told reporters outside the court. “When you have had 20 years of your life under a pressure that you know is unfair, where one attacks your beliefs and not something you have done, the day when the court says it officially, it’s a big relief.”
Defense lawyer Pascal Vanderveeren condemned the proceedings of the case as being prejudiced and careless, stressing that it was aimed at maligning Scientology and not those who are in fact criminal.
Marie Abadi, a former Scientology member who is now a strong opponent of it, said she expected an appeal, adding, “We are evidently very disappointed. Either the facts are too old, or not precise enough. We are certain the prosecutor will appeal because things must budge.”
Promoted by famous celebrities such as John Travolta and Tom Cruise, Scientology has sparked sharp divisions. While critics decry it as scam and occult, advocates say that the church offers necessary spiritual support in today’s fast-changing world.
Prosecutors demanded that the court completely dissolves the Belgian branch of Scientology; and requested that the European Bureau for Human Rights charge them a hefty fine. However, the defense team said that the charges were nothing short of trying to mar the reputation of Scientology.
Belgian authorities first launched an investigation in 1997, after several former members decided to complain about the church’s practices. In 2008, a second investigation was launched when an employment agency claimed that the church was making bogus job offers in an attempt to lure and recruit new members.
With its headquarters in Los Angeles, Church of Scientology was founded by science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard in 1954. It is recognized as an official religion in the United States and certain European countries; including Spain, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands. Scientology claims to have a total worldwide membership of 12 million. Yet it has repeatedly come under scrutiny in several European countries, especially Germany.
Photo Credits: Paralel News
