Scientology has been fined $1,370 and ordered to pay court costs of $17,800 for libeling a Danish journalist and German filmmaker, reports Associated Press.
Danish journalist Joergen Pedersen and German filmmaker Walther Heynowski were trashed in the Scientology magazine “Freedom” after they refused to stop production of a television show critical of the controversial church, which has been called a “cult.”
“Freedom” published a totally false report that claimed Heynowski once worked for Stasi and in turn trained Pederson.
Stasi was a notorious network of informants once used to suppress the citizens of Communist East Germany.
After Scientology suffered the legal defeat in Copenhagen its spokesperson said, “We are quite shocked about this ruling because it stops the freedom of speech.”
What?
Coming from one of the most noted and active litigates that often sues and harasses its critics on the Internet it seems bizarre that a Scientologist would now cry for “freedom of speech.”
It appears this protest is more of a pragmatic pose than anything based upon principles.
Don’t expect to see Scientology lawyers relax their efforts to suppress free speech amongst their perceived enemies anytime soon.
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