Russian Orthodox Church applauds Supreme Court's decision to uphold the dissolution of Moscow’s Church of Scientology

The Russian Orthodox Church has welcomed a decision by the country’s Supreme Court to dissolve Moscow's Church of Scientology.

“The Supreme Court’s [decision to] confirm the legality of dissolving the Church of Scientology is seen an important precedent that demonstrates the government’s unwillingness to recognize religious organizations that use the religious sentiments of the people for malicious purposes,” Vakhtang Kipshidze, the deputy head of the Russian Orthodox Church’s communications department, said on Thursday in an interview.

According to Kipshidze, the court’s decision is not a violation of religious freedom, because the court proved that “the very activity of [the Church of Scientology] is an insult to human liberties, pure and simple.”

“We see the ruling […] as protecting the freedom and dignity of Russian citizens,” Kipshidze explained, adding that the Russian Orthodox Church regularly encounters people who have been deeply wounded, both spiritually and emotionally, as a result of exposure to the Church of Scientology.