FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

	Contact: Leisa Goodman
	(323) 960-3500

March 23, 1999

Speaking at the Vienna conference of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe yesterday, Mr. Martin Weightman, European Human Rights Director for the Church of Scientology, has attacked the German and French governments for denying basic rights to Scientologists and other religious minorities. He said that due to government discrimination, Scientologists in these countries have lost their jobs, seen their children abused and harassed at schools, and been denied the right to use public facilities. He said that the intimidation was aimed at coercing them into giving up their religion.

Prior to the conference, the Church had has accused the head of a French government “anti-sect” office of trying to suppress evidence of governmental human rights abuses in France.

Mr. Alain Vivien, head of the French “Inter-Ministerial Mission for the Fight against Sects”, had complained that Scientologists and Jehovah’s Witnesses are participants in the OSCE conference. But Mr. Weightman, attending with Church of Scientology International human rights counsel William C. Walsh of the Washington D.C.-based firm Bisceglie & Walsh, presented information about violations of OSCE commitments by Mr. Vivien’s office.

He cited the International Helsinki Federation’s own report to the conference which criticizes the French government—and names Mr. Vivien—for “increasing intolerance and discrimination.”

The IHF report noted that Mr. Vivien is “chairman of an anti-cult movement” and that “While other reports abroad (Swedish parliamentary report and report of the canton of Tessin) recommend dialogue with so-called sects, France has chosen open confrontation. This has led to slanderous reports in the media, to professional prohibitions, to religious discrimination by the French authorities and to increasing intolerance from civil society towards ordinary people on the grounds of their personal religious beliefs.”

The new IHF report, entitled “Religious Discrimination and Related Violations of Helsinki Commitments,” points out that while human rights groups have focussed on increasing restrictions in formerly communist countries, less attention has been paid to similar developments in countries like Austria, Germany, France, Belgium, Greece and Spain.

The IHF report states that “A high proportion of OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) governments have clearly violated [OSCE commitments], or contributed to increasing religious intolerance” taking legal measures to suppress religious activity and to interfere in the internal affairs of religious communities.

Mr. Weightman blamed the former German government for a retreat by some European countries from OSCE principles. “The Kohl administration set the wheels of religious intolerance in motion,” he said. “The new German government must do more to undo the damage done by its predecessor in Germany and across Europe.”

The IHF report strongly rebuked both Austria and Russia for their 1997 religion laws. The Austrian law, states the IHF, “introduced a double standard of recognition that is detrimental to any new ’competitor’ to the religious establishment and that is purposefully discriminatory.” In Russia, the law has been used as a justification for heavy-handed oppressive attacks on religious minorities such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Church of Scientology. The IHF expressed grave concern over the rise in anti-Semitic statements among Russia’s nationalist politicians.

The IHF also rebuked Greece for discriminatory practices against Protestants, Muslims, Catholics and minority religions and denounced the government’s position as “clearly discriminatory.” The report noted as an example of religious persecution in Greece a case pending against 15 Scientologists, which the report describes as “unfounded.”

“This is the third international human rights report issued this month critical of the treatment of religious and racial minorities by European democracies, said Mr. Weightman. Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department’s Annual Human Rights Report drew parallels between the increase in human rights abuses and the rise of nationalist factions in several European countries, and a report earlier this week by a U.N. Special Rapporteur noted the dangers of the spread of religious intolerance in Europe. Mr. Weightman called on the OSCE to increase the pressure on the member countries lagging behind to abide by their commitments to the OSCE to institute anti-discrimination policies.