Back in May I blogged about the then forthcoming trial for fraud the Church of Scientology was facing in France. A quick update seems in order now that the case has taken place:
Two flagship branches of the Church of Scientology in France have been sentenced to pay fines of over €600,000 (£550,000) after being convicted of “fraud in an organised gang” today by a court in Paris.
The judgment against the Scientology Celebrity Centre and a related bookshop in Paris is one of the most important to involve the controversial organisation in recent years.
The judges stopped short of the total ban the prosecution had called for, so the church will be allowed to continue its activities in France where it is estimated to have 45,000 members. (The Guardian)
