French High Court Upholds Scientology Fraud Convictions

AFP reports that in France, the Cour de Cassation, the country's highest court, yesterday upheld the 2009 fraud conviction of two French affiliates of the Church of Scientology for manipulating two women into buying products or enrolling in courses. (See prior posting.) Scientology's Celebrity Centre and its bookshop in Paris were fined the equivalent of $812,000 (US).  The court rejected Scientology's claim that the convictions violated its religious freedom.  France does not consider Scientology to be a religion.  The church is expected to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.