<div id="subtitle">European Court of Human Rights rules Russian ban on Scientologists illegal</div><div><p>Russia's ban on the Church of Scientology is illegal, the European Court of Human Rights said Thursday in a binding ruling.</p><p>The court said Russia cannot ban the Church of Scientology just because it has not been in the country for long and awarded each of the groups euro5,000 ($7,270) in damages. The groups together also received euro10,000 ($14,500) for costs, which they shared.</p><p>The case was brought to the Strasbourg-based court by two Russian Scientology branches that were refused listing as "religious organizations" because they have not existed for at least 15 years as required by Russia's Religions Act.</p><p>Though Scientology is not widely seen as a religion in Europe, the court said it was making its judgment based on national law.</p><p>The Russian Scientology branches — one in the city of Surgut, the other in Nizhnekamsk — had originally taken their case to Russian courts but lost.</p><p>The Church of Scientology of Russia said the ruling "sets another important precedent to protect the rights of all other religious communities in Europe," according to a statement from spokeswoman Nina de Kastro.</p><p>In 2007, the Moscow Scientology branch Moscow won a case in the Strasbourg court. The St. Petersburg branch has a case pending.</p><p>The Strasbourg court issues rulings based on the European Convention on Human Rights that are binding on the 47 member states of the Council of Europe.</p><p>The Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology, founded in 1954 by the late science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, claims to have 10 million members in 165 nations.</p><p>It has been active for decades in Europe, but has struggled to gain status as a religion. Belgium, Germany and other European countries see Scientology as a cult or sect.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=60185001&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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