News

St. Petersburg court shuts down Scientology Center

St. Petersburg, July 13, Interfax - The St. Petersburg City Court has closed down the city's Scientology Center, accusing it of offenses such as unlicensed teaching and other activities not stated in its charter, the city prosecutor's office said.

Scientology, officially called the Church of Scientology, is a religion started in the 1950s by U.S. writer L. Ron Hubbard and seeking to solve its members' problems in life and to improve their ability for achievement.

"According to the charter of the Scientologist Center, the objective of the organization is propaganda of the philosophical ideas and teachings of L. Ron Hubbard as guidance for a human being in life. However, propaganda of Hubbard's ideas and teachings was in effect supplanted by unlicensed educational activities that were conducted on a paid basis and fell outside the law of the Russian Federation 'On Education'," the prosecutor's office told Interfax.

Moreover, the Center was engaging in "auditing" and "purification," activities that its charter did not prescribe and that meant putting Hubbard's ideas into practice rather than propagandizing them. It advertised those practices as healthcare services without holding a license for them, the office said.

The Center had provided unlicensed consultant services on professional proficiency and ran tests to find out people's personal characteristics. The results of the tests were used in enrolling new members into the organization, the office said.

The Center was accused of other offenses as well.

The court ruling was a response to a suit from the city prosecutor and was said to have followed inspections by the Justice Ministry.

Print this page

Home

News

.	Customize latest news

• Over 100 tons of matzo produced in Russia on the eve of Passover 18 April 2019, 18:02
• Patriarch Kirill sends condolences over the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral 18 April 2019, 13:30
• Bortnikov warns about 1,500 trained Islamist terrorists returning to Europe 18 April 2019, 13:21
• FSB director says concerned about anti-Islamic terrorism, psycho killers 18 April 2019, 11:36
• Russian Church about Notre Dame fire: the world will never be the same 17 April 2019, 11:19
• Kremlin announces readiness to send Russian specialists to help restore Notre Dame in Paris 16 April 2019, 12:32
• Parishioners return to the restored Armenian church in Aleppo 16 April 2019, 12:06
• Russian Culture Ministry to propose organizing fundraiser to help restore Paris' Notre Dame 16 April 2019, 12:02
• Putin offers sympathy over Notre Dame Cathedral fire, offers sending best Russian specialists to Paris – Kremlin 16 April 2019, 12:00
• Russian Orthodox priest believes "real men" exist only in the Special Forces 15 April 2019, 17:40
• Lavrov, Patriarch Kirill discuss church crisis in Ukraine, Christian presence in Middle East 15 April 2019, 10:51
• Peter the Great's charter by which he appoints Metropolitan of Kiev delivered to Ukraine from Germany 15 April 2019, 10:50
• Crosses dismantled in Kuropaty have nothing to do with perpetuation of memory of Stalinist-era victims - Belarusian Ministry of Forestry 12 April 2019, 09:15
• Tajik court sentences former functionary of prohibited Islamic party to 15 years in prison 10 April 2019, 14:19
• Passover to prevent Jews from voting on April 21 "before star-rise" - Ukraine's chief rabbi 09 April 2019, 19:05
• Kiev court finds involuntary renaming of canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church to be unlawful 08 April 2019, 10:56
• Synod conducts rotation of Patriarch Kirill's vicars 05 April 2019, 15:44
• Beautification works, dismantling of illegally erected crosses underway at Kuropaty 05 April 2019, 10:47
• Rabbi Lazar thanks Putin for his help in returning home Israeli soldier's remnants 04 April 2019, 19:01
• Head of OCU congratulates NATO on anniversary, calls to protect freedom from evil together 04 April 2019, 15:33
• Religious communities in Russia begin joint efforts for restoring schools in Syria 04 April 2019, 10:59
• Ukraine's new church fears possibility of tomos revocation 04 April 2019, 10:26
• 750,000 abortions performed in Russia annually, only one-fifth for medical reasons 03 April 2019, 14:29
• Russian Church calls on OSCE to boost religious freedom monitoring in Ukraine 03 April 2019, 12:25
• Karabakh settlement process cannot be one-way road - Catholicos of All Armenians 03 April 2019, 12:19
• ECHR to consider case of discrimination against UOC community in Rovno Region 01 April 2019, 18:18
• Leader of Russia's Jewish community outraged with new Rammstein video 29 March 2019, 18:28
• Kiev court to consider Church's name change lawsuit against Culture Ministry 29 March 2019, 18:22
• Kremlin follows St. Isaac's Cathedral situation, but refrains from comment 29 March 2019, 14:36
• Crimea's Muslim board urges local Muslims not to get in touch with sect members 29 March 2019, 11:03

Other news