27 Oct 2000

German_Scn_News <german_scn_news@hotmail.com>

Press Release

On the press conference of 24 October 2000
at 12:20 p.m. in the Dom zu Berlin, at the
Lustgarten in the community room

Berlin, Germany
October 24, 2000
Dialog Zentrum Berlin

Prof. Stephen Kent of the University of Alberta, Canada, presented his study on Scientology penitential and re-education camps (RPF: Rehabilitation Project Force) today in a press conference at the Dialog Center Berlin in conjunction with the European-American Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA. The totalitarian Scientology organization maintains this kind of private penitential camp, according to Kent's findings, in the USA, Great Britain and Denmark. Members who do not adhere to Scientology's standards are punished in these camps and, according to Prof. Kent's findings, are subjected to systematic "brainwashing."

The study by the Canadian religious sociologist about the human rights violations in the Scientology penitential camps are being printed as a booklet in German and in English by the Hamburg Senate administration; the German-language booklet as well as a proof copy of the English version are available at the Senate administration for the Interior of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

The American Stacey Brooks, who herself used to be a Scientology staff member and a prisoner in the RPF camp, reported from her own experience that the punitive measures included unacceptably heavy physical labor and Hubbard "study courses."

Robert S. Minton, distinguished with the Alternative Charlemagne Award 2000 for his involvement on behalf of the victims of Scientology, reported on the Lisa McPherson Trust, which he established, and his goal, together with Dell Liebreich, the aunt of the deceased, to take legal measures to explain the death of Lisa McPherson, an American who passed away while under Scientology's "care" five years ago. In addition to that, the Lisa McPherson Trust is concerned with ending continued human rights violations by the Scientology organization.

Ursula Caberta y Diaz, director of the Work Group on Scientology in the Interior Administration of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, pointed out Scientology activities which were meant to worsen European-American relations. She praised France's involvement in the European discussion with Scientology in connection with prohibiting a Scientology march through Paris.

The spokeswoman for the European-American Citizens Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA, Solveig Prass of the Parents and Concerned Initiative against Psychic Dependency of Sachsen, Inc., announced that competition was open for the Alternative Charlemagne Award in 2001. The Committee's human rights prize will be bestowed in 2001 upon a person who excels in the trans-Atlantic area in the discussion about human rights and religious freedom and the totalitarian Scientology organization.

for the organizers:

Rev. Thomas Gandow,
Chairman, Dialog Zentrum Berlin

DIALOG ZENTRUM BERLIN

Heimat 27, D- 14165 Berlin - Telefon +49 30/ 815 70 40 - Telefax +49 30/ 845 09 640 Email: berliner.dialog@dialogzentrum.de - Internet:
http://www.dialogzentrum.de
Donations to the Dialog Center can be electronically transferred to account: 15 51 3900 51 at the Bank fuer Kirche und Diakonie (BKD) - BLZ 350 601 90 [this is the number of the financial instituion for electronic transfer

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