Saintologists were interrogated at the FSB

FSB investigators questioned Scientologists , who on the eve were delivered to law enforcement agencies after searches in St. Petersburg, the Leningrad Region and Moscow as witnesses in the criminal case of illegal entrepreneurship.

"Scientologists have been interrogated as witnesses, the charges have not yet been brought," the press service of the North Capital of the Northern capital said on Wednesday.

As previously reported, during the searches conducted on June 21, FSB investigators found evidence of the illegal activities of Scientologists.

"Objects and documents were found and seized confirming the version of the investigation to the functionaries of the" Saintological Church of St. Petersburg "of goods and services in violation of the norms established by law, as well as indicating the interregional nature of this illegal activity," the press service of the FSB said.

The Investigative Service of the Federal Security Service of the FSB has been opened a criminal case under Article 171 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Illegal Entrepreneurship". The investigation believes that members of the Saintological Church of St. Petersburg carried out entrepreneurial activities without registration, associated with the extraction of income on an especially large scale.

As already noted earlier, the current investigation is not the first case related to Scientologists in St. Petersburg. Currently, the Oktyabrsky District Court is considering a criminal case against the head of the Olympus Group of Companies Ekaterina Zaborsky, which is suspected of embezzlement of 130 million rubles from participants in shared construction. The stolen funds, according to law enforcement agencies, were also sent to the needs of the Scientological Church, the adherent of which is a woman.

The first registered organization of Scientology in Russia in 1994 was the "Saintological Church of Moscow" (later she was denied the capital’s department of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation).

In the mid-1990s, there were about 10 thousand followers of the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard in Russia. The activities of Scientologists have become widespread in many Russian regions. By May 2011, there were already about 500 thousand followers of the exercise in the Russian Federation, about 70 Scientology organizations in 50 regions operated.

Decree of the State Duma of December 15, 1996, the organization "Church of Scientology" was classified as "Destructive Religious Organization". Pseudorelia called Scientology and the Russian Orthodox Church.

On June 26, 2007, the court with a court decision was liquidated by the Saintological Center in St. Petersburg. Last fall, the Moscow City Court granted the lawsuit of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on the liquidation of the religious association "Scientological Church of Moscow".