France Fines Scientologists

Tom Cruise may have to think twice before his next trip to France. French courts have convicted the Church of Scientology of fraud after a woman claimed she was manipulated into donating over 20,000 euros (nearly $30,000). The conviction came with a fine of 600,000 euros (about $892,000), but did not actually ban the group from the country thanks in large part to a legal loophole. A Scientology spokesman denounced the ruling as a “political gesture,” saying they will appeal: "If it has to go to the court of human rights we're confident we will win there." France has given a notoriously cold shoulder to Scientology, which it refuses to recognize as an actual religion, and has fined individuals a number of times before, though this ruling marks the first fine for the organization itself. “Religious freedom is in danger in this country,” said a spokesman for the church’s Celebrity Centre.