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Patron Meritorious
Unofficial translation of a Russian article posted on May 31, 2012 on the website of the Northwest Customs Directorate of the Russian Federation:
http://sztu.customs.ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16743:2012-05-31-09-50-05&catid=165:2010-12-23-09-12-04&Itemid=83
http://sztu.customs.ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16743:2012-05-31-09-50-05&catid=165:2010-12-23-09-12-04&Itemid=83
Below: Screen capture of the Russian article on the website of the Northwest Customs Directorate. The photo in the article shows a customs agent holding one of the prohibited Hubbard books, What is Scientology?Saint Petersburg Customs: Results of the fight against extremism
May 31, 2012
Saint Petersburg customs notes a recent increase in the volume of religious propaganda literature being sent to Russia. Saint Petersburg customs agents regularly apply preventive measures to block the entry and further circulation of materials that have been ruled extremist.
In the course of their inspections, agents of the law enforcement branch of the customs office noted a significant influx into the northwest region of literature, booklets and CDs containing informational materials in Russian by L. Ron Hubbard, the ideologist of the international religious organization "Church of Scientology," sent by "New Era Publishing Group," a legal entity registered in Denmark.
The Shchyolkovo city court in the Moscow region has ruled a number of these materials extremist.
The Russian branch of the Danish "New Era" publishing company, which ships and distributes these materials, is presently facing criminal charges filed by the Main Investigations Directorate for the city of Shchyolkovo under Part 1, Article. 282 of the Criminal Code Of The Russian Federation ("Incitement of hatred, enmity, or abasement of human dignity").
Inspections of international mail in 2011 also turned up Hubbard books that have been ruled extremist by court decision.
To summarize, goods prohibited from importation on the territory of the Russian Federation were detected during customs inspections. In accordance with the customs legislation of the Russian Federation, the materials found as a result of the inspections were refused at the customs control point and will be returned to the foreign sender.