In St. Petersburg, one of the leaders of the Church of Scientology is again in custody

The head of the St. Petersburg community of Scientologists, Ivan Matsitsky, was again placed in custody.

On March 16, 2021, it became known that the head of the St. Petersburg community of Scientologists, Ivan Matsitsky, was again placed in custody.I. Matsitsky was in custody for two and a half years - until November 2019, after which the court chose a different measure of restraint - restriction of certain actions. However, now the court has been submitted to the court by the head of the branch for the Vsevolozhsk district of the Penitentiary Inspectorate of the Office of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region on changing the measure of restraint in connection with “the use of means of communication in cases that are not exceptional.” By decision of the court, he will remain under guards until June 14, 2021.

Recall that in St. Petersburg, Scientologists were arrested as part of a criminal case under Art. 171 (illegal business), Art. 282 of the Criminal Code (inciting hatred) and Art. 282.1 of the Criminal Code (organization of an extremist community). According to investigators, the Church of Scientology was engaged in shadow business, selling educational programs to its followers that are not taxed.

On April 8, 2022, the St. Petersburg City Court transferred Matsitsky to house arrest.

We tend to see it as wrongful to prosecute Scientologists for extremism. The assertion of one's own exclusiveness is characteristic of any religion, and the persecution of Scientologists and the banning of their literature on this basis are unreasonable. It seems doubtful to us that a part of the adherents of Scientologists who are subjected to psychological pressure have been singled out by the investigation into a social group protected by anti-extremist legislation.

Sources

• Church of Scientology Saint Petersburg leader returned to custody // RAPSI. 2021. March 16.
• The court released under house arrest the leader of the St. Petersburg Scientologists Matsitsky // Interfax-religion. 2022. April 8.