It is extremely hard to prove the destructiveness of the non-conventional cult.

There are eight thousand of Centers of Scientology in more than 160 countries nowadays, though now it is persecuted by the court. As for Russians, they had an opportunity to know the Scientology Church closer only at the beginning of nineties (this is exactly when the first scientological community was registered in Russia). However, even after this relatively short period of time, the representatives of Russian law machinery have become very displeased with Ron Hubbard’s disciples.  
There were nine cases of criminal proceedings against Russian Scientologists during the recent three years alone. They were accused of violating the Criminal Code, especially the articles about illegal enterprising activity and misusage of powers of office. For example, in one of the cases the head of the Department of Municipal Education made his personnel attend Scientology courses at government expenses. The administrative case was initiated against four managers of Hubbardist organizations. During that very period the state prosecutor’s office carried out about forty Scientological organizations in various cities from St. Petersburg to the Far East. As the result, twelve Scientological organizations were liquidated. Besides, the proceedings against six organizations are investigated.
But all the data, given above, is nothing but a bare listing of facts, which can say nothing about the people’s broken lives. Alexandra Mityashina, a woman from Russia, has been combating Scientology Church not only in Russia, but also in Europe for a number of years. She is sure she had lost her husband and her children because of Scientologists.
Alexandra got along with the disciples of Ron Hubbard’s teaching eleven years ago, when her ex-husband was proposed to have a free psychological testing. “Everyone finds it highly appealing, that the testing is free of charge, - Mityashina tells, - but then they get deeper and deeper. And the worst thing is that they don’t notice it at all”. After Alexandra’s husband had passed the test, he was told that he had serious problems both with his career and with interpersonal relations. In order to solve these problems, he was suggested to take up a Dianetics course. He used to spend at least two hours a day at these courses.
“The price can meet any level of income, - Alexandra goes on, - and they find out if you are rich in no time. After it they propose you the price, which you can pay”. They use very easy methods of psychological stimulation to keep these people inside organization. They encourage them. After the end of the course everyone stands up and applauds for a neophyte so that he could feel euphoria because of his success in studying Hubbard’s doctrine. As Alexander was a well-to-do businessman, the courses, he was suggested to attend, were more expensive and long. He was sent to the USA after it, while Alexandra had to pay his bills with sky-scraping sums of money. Some of these bills were for several dozens thousand of dollars.
But this was not the end. Alexandra’s husband wanted all members of family (little children were not an exception) join the Scientology Church. “There is no official direction that the whole family should belong to Scientology. But they actually mean this, - the woman explains, - they give you a book, where it is told about a very simple way to solve conflicts: first you should try to negotiate, then you should use pressure and if nothing of above helps, you should break up with him. This rule should work both for grown-ups and for children. There is a strict rule: if the person is not with you, you should break up with him. Relations are nothing”. The woman tried to save her marriage, so she agreed to attend Dianetics courses.
Alexandra tells that people, who get involved into Scientology, undergo some psychological procession. As the result, people lose all human emotions. “There are some exercises, which are used for advanced members. They are called “bullying”, - she tells. – You are closed with a trainer in a room for about four or five hours. During all that time he yells at you, and abuses you. You should bear this pressure. You are meant to become a robot, which is able to run its head against a brick wall. This really drives you crazy. If someone had been cut his hand off and if I had been watching it then, I wouldn’t have given a damn!”, woman confesses. “Advanced” Scientologists are told that they have reached the state of gods, so, they are able to be the masters of “non-cleared” ones, as they call non-Scientologists. They mean they are “stupid and profane”. 
During the nineties the investigators made an unpleasant discovery while initiating the legal proceeding against Scientology organizations: it turned out that it is very hard to prove the harm, which was caused by using Hubbard’s techniques. These examinations made the trial longer and there was hardly any result. Proving the facts of Scientologists’ illegal enterprising, educational and medical activity was much more successful. Most of Scientology organizations are registered as NGOs and claim that their aim is to popularize Ron Hubbard’s philosophy and religious doctrine. But the state prosecutor’s inspections often showed that their basic task was to organize paid courses on administrative management technologies, health-improvement, or drug addict’s rehabilitation – all of this according to Hubbard’s techniques. 
“I attended a ten-day course for businessmen, - Alexandra Mityashina told. – The training was held by an organization that didn’t show that it belonged to Scientology. We were staying in the hotel together with the lecturers from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. We were told that accounting was very important for our business. But the most of time we were being told that Scientology would make us rich. The price of the training was 3.5 thousand dollars. I can say it cost me an arm and a leg. Everyone was suggested to pay 50 thousand dollars to buy special tests after it. The heads of firms were supposed to make the staff pass these tests, as the staff should become Scientologists too. I saw 38 people paying this sum”.
But how can smart and successful people behave like this? “They would grip and keep all wealthy people at all costs, - Alexandra explains. - They control them all the time. They call you every day, and there’s a special “ethics officer”, who is always next to you. You live under the close surveillance”.
The criminal case against French Scientologists, which has been taken to the court these days, includes accusation of illegal distribution of medicines. The adepts themselves tell that they never sell any medicines; they just recommend their parishioners take vitamins, which they can buy in any drugstore. Yet, Alexandra Mityashina’s witness is vice versa, just as one of Od-Claire Malton, who is a victim of Scientology from France.
“Scientologists have a so-called “detoxication” program, - Alexandra tells. – They insist that everyone takes it up. Otherwise you won’t be able to know Hubbard’s idea, they say. The program costs about three thousand dollars. You are given a small plastic bag with some strange pills inside. You are told they are vitamins. But you are not allowed to buy vitamins in a usual drugstore. I tried it. Moreover, Scientologists insist that we should take only their medicines. My elder son was made to take up this program. They use the following “detoxication” technology: people sweat for some hours in a sauna, then they take pills and after that they are jogging for a while. Then they get to the sauna again and the procedure repeats. All this lasts for several days”.
In 1994 Scientologists tried to introduce these “medical” innovations into Russian healthcare system through the old boy network. But these attempts were suppressed with the order № 254, written on 19th of June 1996 by Alexander Tsaregorodtsev, the head of the Public Health Ministry. The order was “About Cancelling the “Methodic Recommendations Considering “Detoxication Program”. “One shouldn’t let popularization or using detoxication methods, or any other methods, described in Ron Hubbard’s doctrine, Scientology or Dianetics in public healthcare practices”, - the document said.
Since that time these pseudo-scientific methods are very likely to be practiced behind the closed doors of Scientology centers. The status of religious organizations and human rights campaigns, which are sponsored by scientologists make a good shield for them against the law machinery from all around the world.

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