Belgian Court Dismisses Charges Against Scientology Church

Scientology Prevails: Belgian Court Dismisses All Charges Against the Church of Scientology

New Zealand Scientologists salute the decision by the 69th Trial Chamber of the
Brussels Criminal Court, which unequivocally rejects the prosecution's fatally flawed and biased case. The Court categorically and emphatically dismissed all charges against two Churches of Scientology and eleven individual defendants while upholding the fundamental human rights of the Church and its members. The landmark decision rejects the biased charges brought by the prosecutor against the Church and its officials, and brings 18 years of religious discrimination fueled by investigative actions taken in bad faith by the prosecutor in this case to a complete halt. The decision makes it clear that the evidence does not support the prosecutor's biased view of the case against the religion, the Church and its adherents. Justice and the rule of law have prevailed in Belgium.

The Trial Court has reached the same unequivocal conclusion as the Highest Courts in Italy, the United Kingdom and Australia as well as judicial and administrative bodies in many countries: that Scientology is a religion and must be treated like all other religions under Belgian and international human rights law. This is the underlying principle that drives the decision and was ignored by the prosecution in bringing this fatally flawed case.

The Church of Scientology was founded in 1954, and in 1955 in New Zealand, making it the second oldest Scientology church in the world. New Zealand recognised it as a charity in 2002. With millions of members in more than 180 countries.

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