Church of Scientology of St Petersburg & Others v Russia. Application no 47191/06: European Court of Human Rights (First Section); Berro-Lefèvre, Laffranque, Pinto de Albuquerque, Sicilianos, Møse, Turković, Dedov: 2 October 2014 [Case Note]

Mcfaul, Hugh (2015). Church of Scientology of St Petersburg & Others v Russia. Application no 47191/06: European Court of Human Rights (First Section); Berro-Lefèvre, Laffranque, Pinto de Albuquerque, Sicilianos, Møse, Turković, Dedov: 2 October 2014 [Case Note]. Oxford Journal of Law and Religion, 4(1) pp. 155–156.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ojlr/rwu048

Abstract

Human rights – Freedom of religion or belief – Interference with – Russian law providing that 'a religious organisation' was a voluntary association of Russian nationals and permanent residents of Russia formed for the profession and dissemination of faith and duly registered as legal entity – Justice Department carrying out religious study and refusing to register Church of Scientology of St Petersburg as 'religious organisation' on grounds of 'non-religious' nature of group as well as on technical grounds and on 'unreliability' of group’s existence for fifteen years – Refusal upheld on appeal to St Petersburg City Court – Whether refusal to register as religious organization violation of right to freedom of religion in the light of freedom of association – European Convention on Human Rights, art 9 in conjunction with art 11