Church of Scientology Moscow v. Russia

In April 2007, the European Court of Human Rights

European Court of Human Rights

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...

 ruled against Russia for repeatedly refusing to consider the Moscow Church of Scientology's application for the status of a legally valid religious association. The court found that the reasons given to deny re-registration of the church by the justice department and endorsed by the Moscow courts had no legal basis.

Other events

In July 2007, the St. Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

 City Court ordered that the city's Scientology center be closed for violating its charter by engaging in unlicensed health care services. A court in Samara

Samara, Russia

Samara , is the sixth largest city in Russia. It is situated in the southeastern part of European Russia at the confluence of the Volga and Samara Rivers. Samara is the administrative center of Samara Oblast. Population: . The metropolitan area of Samara-Tolyatti-Syzran within Samara Oblast...

 came to a similar decision in November 2008, closing down the activities of the local center for practicing without a license.

In September 2009, the European Court of Human Rights issued a binding ruling in favor of two Scientology branches in Surgut

Surgut

Surgut is a city in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located on the Ob River near its junction with the Irtysh River, the largest in the autonomous okrug and the second largest in Tyumen Oblast. Population:...

 and Nizhnekamsk

Nizhnekamsk

Nizhnekamsk is a city in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, located to the south of the Kama River between the cities of Naberezhnye Chelny and Chistopol.Population: -History:...

, which had been denied registration as "religious organizations." The two organizations were awarded 20,000 € in costs and damages. The ruling, which cannot be appealed, said that Russia could not ban the Church of Scientology simply because it did not have a long history in the country.

In December 2009, the court closed the Dianetics Center in Naberezhnye Chelny

Naberezhnye Chelny

Naberezhnye Chelny is the second largest city in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia.A major industrial center, Naberezhnye Chelny stands on the Kama River some 225 km east of Kazan near Nizhnekamsk Reservoir. It serves as the administrative center of Tukayevsky District, although it is not...

.

External links

• Church of Scientology International - Russia