At 7 a.m. on March 29, 2016, police raided the Church of Scientology in Naberezhnye Chelny in the central Russian Republic of Tatarstan. As the photo below shows, security forces broke into the org with the aid of a sledge hammer and a crowbar. On Facebook, local blogger Dmitriy Pokrov, who works nearby, remarked (in Russian): "While the men were breaking down the door, the Scientologists silently stood by and watched."
Investigators spent the day searching for and seizing objects and records relevant to allegations of violations of privacy in connection with the secret recording of auditing sessions and the keeping of records containing intimate personal information about Scientology parishioners and persons close to them. The alleged privacy violations fall under article 137 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Chelny-biz.ru reports that all of the collected personal information had been translated into English for the convenience of Western Scientology officials.
The Naberezhnye Chelny Church of Scientology is located on Naberezhnochelninsky Prospect.
Searches were simultaneously conducted at ten apartments of Scientologists in Naberezhnye Chelny. In all, eighteen Scientology locations were searched in several cities in Tatarstan.
Sources (in Russian):
http://ift.tt/1qulpDo
http://ift.tt/1qulpDw
http://ift.tt/1PVy3PY
http://ift.tt/1RKzhPf
http://ift.tt/1PVy4DJ
http://ift.tt/1qulpTN
http://ift.tt/1PVy4U5
http://ift.tt/1qulpTT
http://ift.tt/1PVy4U7
Here, with English subtitles, is an NTV news video that aired on March 30, 2016, one day after the March 29 raid:
Police raid Church of Scientology in Tatarstan, March 29, 2016
Reporter: Dinar Usmanov, NTV
Broadcast date: March 30, 2016
Location: Naberezhnye Chelny (Republic of Tatarstan, Russia)
Reporter: A few strokes of a sledge hammer and, under the onslaught of the Spetsnaz soldiers, the door to the citadel of the Church of Scientology's devotees gives way. The operatives enter the premises of a religious organization that look more like the office of a business than a temple. The investigators are determined to carry out a thorough search.
Investigator: (reading) "We are conducting this search in order to —"
(woman on the left interrupts investigator)
Investigator: Listen to me. "... in order to find and seize objects and documents related to illegal activities of the religious group 'Church of Scientology,' including electronic media and paper records on which are stored citizens' private personal information."
Reporter: Here, in this building, is where Scientology's enlightenment process is conducted, so-called "auditing," somewhat like Christian secret confession. However, all the intimate revelations made during auditing are secretly recorded on video and special audio recording devices. The investigators call this a blatant violation of privacy. Regarding how the information collected about parishioners is used, the Scientologists, of course, prefer not to comment.
The true nature of the activity of this organization's numerous cells has been carefully concealed. Outside, a modest sign states that this is a branch of the Church of Scientology. But inside, on computer media and paper files now being seized by police, hundreds of compromising details about the followers are recorded, the darkest stains on their lives: career mistakes, questionable acquaintances, and, of course, information about conjugal infidelities. Security officials are not ruling out that this information may have been used to extort large sums of money.
Last year, a similar search was conducted by investigators at the Moscow Scientology office. Detectives seized equipment that would be the envy of even the intelligence services. This [video shows a hard disk], in fact, is a hard drive on which all of the parishioners' secrets were stored. Nearby were electromagnetic guns that fire in the event of an alarm, and all information is instantly destroyed. No one has explained why the church has such equipment. The followers of American L. Ron Hubbard's doctrine who were seen at the Naberezhnye Chelny office also said that they know nothing regarding the secret collection of confidential information about members, and they began assuring investigators that, in their minds, there is nothing criminal going on.
Guzel Salikhova, Scientologist: We are a very peaceful religion. We help people. We provide education about the dangers of drugs. We are striving to uphold morality in society.
Reporter: Tenants of the Scientologists' neighboring offices say that no one knows what goes on behind this door, beside which a plain sign is displayed. But the church is frequented by affluent people who are clearly trying to remain incognito.
Nail Sirazov, Entrepreneur: They come here in impressive cars, but it's not clear who they are. Nail Sirazov Entrepreneur Nevertheless, these people are apparently training their colleagues for something there.
Reporter: Candidate of Sociological Sciences Larisa Astakhova has firsthand knowledge of this overseas cult. Scientologists have even tried to recruit her. She now serves as an expert for investigations and court cases concerning Scientologists. She says that the cult's most striking feature is the American commercial nature of the doctrine. Even a sincerely empathetic person doesn't have the right to call himself a Scientologist unless he hands over a certain amount of money for the needs of the church. Regarding the secretly recorded confessions, the expert says this is practically a business for sensitive personal information and it always costs money. The church's followers apparently know how to derive profit from this.
Larisa Astakhova, Assistant professor of philosophy, Kazan Federal University: The stage is set for blackmail when, for example, persons close to high-ranking individuals, join Scientology or get involved with Dianetics, and details about them, about their countries — not always favorable — or even state secrets fall into the hands of these people. Sometimes what can develop is a form of espionage, including industrial espionage. There will always be people motivated by this.
Reporter: The case against the Scientologists from Naberezhnye Chelny has already grown into a large-scale investigation with stunning revelations and scandals. Searches involving church members were performed simultaneously at 18 locations in several cities in Tatarstan. Experts say that Scientologists collected donations, tax-exempt because under the guise of religious status, and then sent them directly to the business-church's head office in the United States. According to detectives, court proceedings are presently underway in Russia to address the issue of denying the Scientologists status as a religious organization.
Dinar Usmanov, Dmitriy Ermakov, Ilya Ushenin NTV, Tatarstan.
Russia: Police raid Church of Scientology in Tatarstan, March 29, 2016
Investigators spent the day searching for and seizing objects and records relevant to allegations of violations of privacy in connection with the secret recording of auditing sessions and the keeping of records containing intimate personal information about Scientology parishioners and persons close to them. The alleged privacy violations fall under article 137 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Chelny-biz.ru reports that all of the collected personal information had been translated into English for the convenience of Western Scientology officials.
The Naberezhnye Chelny Church of Scientology is located on Naberezhnochelninsky Prospect.
Searches were simultaneously conducted at ten apartments of Scientologists in Naberezhnye Chelny. In all, eighteen Scientology locations were searched in several cities in Tatarstan.
Sources (in Russian):
http://ift.tt/1qulpDo
http://ift.tt/1qulpDw
http://ift.tt/1PVy3PY
http://ift.tt/1RKzhPf
http://ift.tt/1PVy4DJ
http://ift.tt/1qulpTN
http://ift.tt/1PVy4U5
http://ift.tt/1qulpTT
http://ift.tt/1PVy4U7
Here, with English subtitles, is an NTV news video that aired on March 30, 2016, one day after the March 29 raid:
Police raid Church of Scientology in Tatarstan, March 29, 2016
Reporter: Dinar Usmanov, NTV
Broadcast date: March 30, 2016
Location: Naberezhnye Chelny (Republic of Tatarstan, Russia)
Reporter: A few strokes of a sledge hammer and, under the onslaught of the Spetsnaz soldiers, the door to the citadel of the Church of Scientology's devotees gives way. The operatives enter the premises of a religious organization that look more like the office of a business than a temple. The investigators are determined to carry out a thorough search.
Investigator: (reading) "We are conducting this search in order to —"
(woman on the left interrupts investigator)
Investigator: Listen to me. "... in order to find and seize objects and documents related to illegal activities of the religious group 'Church of Scientology,' including electronic media and paper records on which are stored citizens' private personal information."
Reporter: Here, in this building, is where Scientology's enlightenment process is conducted, so-called "auditing," somewhat like Christian secret confession. However, all the intimate revelations made during auditing are secretly recorded on video and special audio recording devices. The investigators call this a blatant violation of privacy. Regarding how the information collected about parishioners is used, the Scientologists, of course, prefer not to comment.
The true nature of the activity of this organization's numerous cells has been carefully concealed. Outside, a modest sign states that this is a branch of the Church of Scientology. But inside, on computer media and paper files now being seized by police, hundreds of compromising details about the followers are recorded, the darkest stains on their lives: career mistakes, questionable acquaintances, and, of course, information about conjugal infidelities. Security officials are not ruling out that this information may have been used to extort large sums of money.
Last year, a similar search was conducted by investigators at the Moscow Scientology office. Detectives seized equipment that would be the envy of even the intelligence services. This [video shows a hard disk], in fact, is a hard drive on which all of the parishioners' secrets were stored. Nearby were electromagnetic guns that fire in the event of an alarm, and all information is instantly destroyed. No one has explained why the church has such equipment. The followers of American L. Ron Hubbard's doctrine who were seen at the Naberezhnye Chelny office also said that they know nothing regarding the secret collection of confidential information about members, and they began assuring investigators that, in their minds, there is nothing criminal going on.
Guzel Salikhova, Scientologist: We are a very peaceful religion. We help people. We provide education about the dangers of drugs. We are striving to uphold morality in society.
Reporter: Tenants of the Scientologists' neighboring offices say that no one knows what goes on behind this door, beside which a plain sign is displayed. But the church is frequented by affluent people who are clearly trying to remain incognito.
Nail Sirazov, Entrepreneur: They come here in impressive cars, but it's not clear who they are. Nail Sirazov Entrepreneur Nevertheless, these people are apparently training their colleagues for something there.
Reporter: Candidate of Sociological Sciences Larisa Astakhova has firsthand knowledge of this overseas cult. Scientologists have even tried to recruit her. She now serves as an expert for investigations and court cases concerning Scientologists. She says that the cult's most striking feature is the American commercial nature of the doctrine. Even a sincerely empathetic person doesn't have the right to call himself a Scientologist unless he hands over a certain amount of money for the needs of the church. Regarding the secretly recorded confessions, the expert says this is practically a business for sensitive personal information and it always costs money. The church's followers apparently know how to derive profit from this.
Larisa Astakhova, Assistant professor of philosophy, Kazan Federal University: The stage is set for blackmail when, for example, persons close to high-ranking individuals, join Scientology or get involved with Dianetics, and details about them, about their countries — not always favorable — or even state secrets fall into the hands of these people. Sometimes what can develop is a form of espionage, including industrial espionage. There will always be people motivated by this.
Reporter: The case against the Scientologists from Naberezhnye Chelny has already grown into a large-scale investigation with stunning revelations and scandals. Searches involving church members were performed simultaneously at 18 locations in several cities in Tatarstan. Experts say that Scientologists collected donations, tax-exempt because under the guise of religious status, and then sent them directly to the business-church's head office in the United States. According to detectives, court proceedings are presently underway in Russia to address the issue of denying the Scientologists status as a religious organization.
Dinar Usmanov, Dmitriy Ermakov, Ilya Ushenin NTV, Tatarstan.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire