29th July 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Mr. Martin Weightman
Human Rights Director
Church of Scientology International
European Office for Public Affairs
and Human Rights
Rue de la Loi 91
1040 Brussels, Belgium
Phone: 32 2231 1596
Fax: 32 2280 1540
Email: humanrightsdir@scientology-europe.org
Website: Scientology Human Rights
Website: Scientology Religion



New 2004 Human Rights Report on European Union countries by the Church of Scientology released
The Church of Scientology International released its 2004 Human Rights Report, focused on religious freedom issues in the 15 EU countries (before accession), as well as drawing attention to violations in the application of human rights under the drafted European Constitution and current human rights conventions and legislation. In fact, the report assesses each of the 15 Member States against a list of criteria measuring application of international human rights standards.

Germany, Belgium, France and Greece fall far short of the standards that should be met, all falling into a category 3 (out of 6) which states that existing practices and behaviour clearly show “some government disregard or violation of international standards” as well as “social discord of concern creating violations of international standards”, resulting in discriminatory social situations.

Outstanding examples of this are the hostile media environment for minority religions as in Belgium, France, Germany and Greece, discriminatory employment practices such as the German sect-filters, the use of the otherwise not legally binding "sects-lists" as a reference for judging the correctness of religious beliefs as in Belgium and France, the authority given to traditional churches to evaluate the appropriateness of others' religious convictions as in Greece or to spread value-judgments as in Austria.

The amount of taxpayer money wasted by governments to enforce discrimination can be assessed in several million Euros every year. As an example, in Germany the Bavarian Interior Minister Guenther Beckstein commissioned a “study” on a minority religion at a cost of 250,000 Euros. However, leading German scholars and experts, determined that the person conducting the study is unqualified to do so as he is a documented antagonist to religions.

"There is still quite a way to go in these countries before they meet international standards with regards to religious freedom issues” said Mr. Weightman, the Church’s Human Rights Director. “In certain areas of society there is an ingrained tendency to discriminate which has seeped into some areas of government and society, to the degree that the rights of religious minorities are swept aside.”

A new booklet on human rights published by the Church of Scientology International aimed to increase awareness of specific human rights issues has also been released at the conference. It is the seventh booklet in a series of publications which has been sent to some 56,000 decision makers in Europe. The booklet describes the grass roots European and worldwide activities in the field of human rights conducted by 3,700 Scientology churches, missions and groups in 154 countries.

More information can be obtained from the following websites:
Scientology Human Rights
Youth for Human Rights
Human Rights and Tolerance
Scientology Human Rights



{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{
Foundation for Religious Freedom

Human Rights

Raising Socially Responsible Children