http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/wo...=french&st=cse


October 28, 2009
French Branch of Scientology Convicted of Fraud
By STEVEN ERLANGER
PARIS - The French branch of the Church of Scientology was convicted of
fraud and fined nearly $900,000 on Tuesday by a Paris court. But the judges
did not ban the church entirely, as the prosecution had demanded, saying
that a change in the law prevented such an action for fraud. The church said
it would appeal.

The verdict was among the most important in several years to involve the
group, which is regarded by the Internal Revenue Service as a religion in
the United States but has no similar legal protection in France. It is
considered a sect here, where it says it has some 45,000 adherents, out of
what the church claims is some 12 million worldwide. It was the first time
here that the church itself had been tried and convicted, as opposed to
individual members.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/wo...=french&st=cse