September 5, 2007 - 10:40AM
Belgian prosecutors today accused the Church of Scientology
of extortion, fraud and other crimes and sought to bring it
and key members to trial.
Federal prosecutors said they were
charging the church in Belgium, its European office in Brussels
and 12 members with offences including the illegal practice of
medicine and breaches of commercial practices.
Prosecutors
were also considering whether the church should be considered
a criminal organisation after an investigation prompted by
complaints 10 years ago.
A prosecution spokeswoman declined
to give specific details.
A court will initially examine the
case and determine whether to send it to trial. It should rule
in October or November.
The Church of Scientology said Belgian
prosecutors had been using the media to damage its reputation
over the past 10 years and yet had been unable to bring the issue
to a court.
"As a consequence, this created a climate of
intolerance and discrimination in Belgian society about the
Church of Scientology and Scientologists," it said in a statement,
adding it was seeking legal advice.
In April, the European Court
of Human Rights ruled against Russia for repeatedly refusing to
recognise Moscow's Church of Scientology.
Belgian prosecutors
said they were not seeking to have the church banned in Belgium,
but intended to pursue it and members over certain activities.
Several European countries have refused to register the group
formed by science-fiction writer L Ron Hubbard, as a church. Reuters