Russia has banned the Moscow branch of the Church of
Scientology following a court hearing.
The country's Ministry of Justice (MoJ) argued that since
the organisation has registered its name as a US trademark it cannot operate as
a religion.
This claim was then backed up by Moscow's City Court,
according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
A spokesman for Russia's MoJ said: "The
representatives of the Church of Scientology have created many legal conflicts
by themselves by restricting the religious freedom through the use of trade
marks."
Judge Mikhail Kazakov ruled: "The suit filed by the
ministry of justice for the liquidation must be enacted.”
A spokesman for the Moscow branch said: "When
decisions like this are handed down, actually everyone loses, and this decision
affects not only the Church of Scientology of Moscow.
"This decision is a sign of disease in the justice
system."
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