From: "Catarina Pamnell" <catarina@pamnell.com>

After a major critical tv show on Scn in Denmark, the CoS responded by publishing claims in 'Frihed' (Danish 'Freedom' magazine) that the journalists behind the program had Stasi-connections. Some of them then decided to sue for defamation.

There's an article on this story in the latest issue of the magazine for the journalist's trade union, 'Journalisten', issue 15/1999.

Summary:

The journalists behind a theme saturday about Scientology on Danish Radio 2 in June, were subsequently put in direct connection with Stasi in the membership magazine of the movement. Scientology now faces at least three different suits for defamation and damages.

Under the headline 'The Stasi connection', the editor of 'Frihed' used a graphic diagram to show a connection between the journalists and the foreign department of Stasi, HVA.

'I think it's interesting to see what kind of connections these journalists have. It says something about what journalistic standards they have,' says Anette Refstrup, chief editor of 'Frihed'.

'That diagram is pure fiction. It's a sick conspiracy theory, born from a Scientologist mind. I don't know whether to laugh or cry,' says Jorgen Pedersen, chief editor of the theme saturday on Scientology. He has decided to sue for defamation and damages.

The claimed connecting link between the journalists and Stasi is East German film maker Walter Heynowski. In 1989, he visited the educational center of Danmark's Radio. Heynowski had made several documentaries during the time of the DDR-regime, and was invited to talk about his work and his methods.

In 'Frihed', Heynowski is said to be a Stasi-agent, but there is no documentation to back up this claim. He has now asked his lawyer to sue Scientology.

'I have my life's work to protect. I have 100 percent proof that I've never been a Stasi agent' says Heynowski. Because of the suit, he does not want to show this evidence to 'Journalisten', but his danish lawyer Jorgen Jakobsen confirms that he has recieved two documents that proves Heynowski was never a Stasi agent.

Another journalist involved is the freelancer Tom Heinemann, who was behind two of the parts of the theme saturday. He is supposedly connected to Stasi through Ruth Sperling, who according to Anette Refstrup, was the director of Danish Radio's educational center at the time when Heynowski visited. She now work's for P1 Orientering, where Tom Heinemann has produced several broadcasts.

'We had hundreds of guests every year, I don't remember Heynowski,' says Sperling.

'I have never heard of him,' says Heinemann. 'I cannot tolerate to be put in connection with a regime that held a whole population in an iron grip.' He has now sued for defamation and damages.

'I fully stand by my aquaintance with Heynowski. I've known him since 1972 and met him 4-5 times in the last ten years. But I have never been 'trained' by him or worked with him,' says Jorgen Pedersen.

Another person mentioned in this 'Frihed' diagram as having been present at the 1989 lecture, Kjeld Vejrup, now manager of Den Europaeiske Filmhojskole ['European Film College'], is also contemplating his response.

Catarina

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