Scientology in Belgium

Belgium and other European countries have been criticized by the U.S. State Department for ruling that Scientology was a cult or sect and enacting restrictive laws against it.[1]

In response to the proposed trial, the U.S. State Department said that if Belgian authorities "have evidence that individuals violated Belgian law, they should take appropriate legal steps consistent with Belgium’s international obligations to protect freedom of thought, conscience and religion"; however, the State Department would "oppose any effort to stigmatize an entire group based solely upon religious beliefs and would be concerned over infringement of any individual’s rights because of religious affiliation."[1][4]

The Associated Press reported an official statement released by the Church of Scientology on September 4, 2007:

"For the last 10 years, the prosecutor has been using the media, trying to damage the reputation of the Church of Scientology and not being able to put a case in court," Scientology said. "As a consequence, this created a climate of intolerance and discrimination" in Belgium.[1]

The Church added that the prosecutor's recommendations suggested Scientology was guilty even before a court could hear the charges, making it "difficult for the Church of Scientology to recover and properly defend (itself) before the court."[1]

In March 2016, the Church of Scientology was acquitted of all charges, and demands to close its Belgian branch and European headquarters were dismissed. The presiding judge, Yves Regimont, cited prejudice in the investigators and said that the church had been “unfairly hounded for years by Belgian authorities,” according to a report by ABC.[6] “The entire proceedings are declared inadmissible for a serious and irremediable breach of the right to a fair trial. The defendants were prosecuted primarily because they were Scientologists,” the judge said.[7]

In April 2016,the Belgian prosecutors failed to appeal.[8]