All news

Court releases leader of St. Petersburg Church of Scientology

The members of the St. Petersburg Church of Scientology are accused of illegally organizing scientology courses and programs on a paid basis without any proper licensing or authorization documents

ST. PETERSBURG, November 15. /TASS/. The St. Petersburg City Court rejected a motion by investigators on Friday to prolong the restriction measure for the leader of the St. Petersburg Church of Scientology Ivan Matsitsky charged with organizing an extremist community, the joint press service of the St. Petersburg’s courts told journalists.

"The St. Petersburg City Court reviewed the investigators’ motion to extend the measure of restriction for Ivan Matsitsky. The court turned down the investigators' request to prohibit Matsitsky from certain actions. Matsitsky was released from the courtroom immediately," the report says.

Apart from organizing an extremist community, Matsitsky is charged with illegal business activity.

The St. Petersburg’s court earlier prolonged the arrest term for the deputy head of the security department of Scientology’s St. Petersburg branch, Konstantsiya Yesaulkova. Executive Director Galina Shurinova and head of the security service Anastasiya Terentyeva remain under house arrest. Chief accountant of the St. Petersburg Church of Scientology Sakhib Aliyev was released from custody this past spring and placed under house arrest.

Russia shuts down St. Petersburg Scientologists over extremism

The members of the St. Petersburg Church of Scientology are accused of illegally organizing scientology courses and programs on a paid basis without any proper licensing or authorization documents, the proceeds from which are estimated at over 276 million rubles (around $4.6 mln). They were arrested on June 6, 2017. That same day, officials from the FSB’s St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region Directorate searched the organization’s office based on breaches of legislation stemming from the Russian Criminal Code "Illegal business operations," "Incitement of hatred and enmity" and "Establishing an extremist organization." Books and materials found in the office and recognized as extremist under the Russian law were confiscated and hauled off. According to the investigators, the St. Petersburg Church of Scientology is an extremist association.

Dianetics and Scientology is a religious and philosophical sect birthed in the United States in the early 1950s by American science-fiction writer Lafayette Ron Hubbard. In Russia, some Scientology files were included in the federal government’s list of extremism-related materials. Their storage and dissemination throughout the country’s territory is prohibited.