Scientology expands in Europe

  Since the opening of a series of new major Churches (in Berlin/Germany, Madrid/Spain and New York/USA) the religious status of the Church of Scientology has been further acknowledged all over the world.

 On the 24th of September 2007, the European Court of Human Rights confirmed the Court’s unanimous decision of April 2007 affirming that the Church  of Scientology is entitled to the rights and protections of religious freedom that flow to religious organizations pursuant to Article 9 of the European Human Rights Convention.

 The principles enunciated in that decision upheld the religious freedom of Scientologists and their religious associations and apply throughout the forty- seven member states that have signed and ratified the European Human Rights Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, including Germany and other key European countries.

 On the 31st of October 2007, the National Court in Madrid issued a landmark decision recognizing that the National Church of Scientology of Spain should be entered in the Registry of Religious Entities as a religion.

 On the 5th of November 2007, the Church of Scientology of Portugal was officially recognized as a religious organization.

 On the 3rd of December 2007, the South African Revenue Service granted the Church of Scientology the status of a Public Benefit Organization as a religious entity with full tax exemption.

 The Scientology religion was founded by L. Ron Hubbard. The first church was established in the United States in 1954. It has grown to more than 7,500 churches, missions and groups and ten million members in 163 nations.