On September 5, 2013 there was a massive police raid on the Twelve Tribes, a communal NRM in Germany. A hundred police (local and “criminal”) and around 60 social workers descended at dawn on the two farming communities of Klosterzimmern and Wörnitz. The raid came as a complete surprise to the sleeping families. The police seized 40 children from 16 families and drove off in 25 vans.
In a decision of January 31, 2013, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) sentenced France in 3 cases (vs. Association cultuelle du Temple Pyramide, Association des Chevaliers du Lotus d’Or, and Église évangélique missionnaire, also known as « Missionary evangelical church of Besançon) for violation of religious freedom (violation of Article 9 of the Convention – Requests 50471/07, 50615/07 and 25502/07).
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) dedicates a whole chapter of their annual report published on April 30, 2013 to criticizing several Western European countries, including France, accused of developing “ a climate of intimidation against certain forms of religious activities”.
The European Office for Human Rights of the Church of Scientology (EOHRCS), la Coordination des associations et des particuliers pour la liberté de conscience (CAP), and the Centre of Information and Counseling on New Spiritualities (CICNS) noted with concern a continued repressive policy towards minorities of religion or belief and new religious movements, despite recommendations made to France during its first UPR.
