freedom of conscience

Who ordered a police crackdown on a peaceful spiritual group in Saône and Loire?

HRWF (21.01.2010) - Website: www.hrwf.net - Email: info@hrwf.net -  On 7 January at 9 am, about 20 law enforcement officers rushed into the Domaine de Chardenoux, a spiritual centre located in Bruailles (Saône and Loire), and searched the whole compound until 6 pm without giving any explanation about their action. As the staff reacted calmly, one of the officers said to the head of the centre “I am sorry, Madam, I have to carry out my job in such circumstances.”

Three police vehicles were stationed in the parking lot outside the castle. All the rooms were searched, 16 computers and all the files were taken away. Each staff member was under the surveillance of three police officers and was interrogated: “Do you have to wear a uniform? Do you have to do gymnastics? Are the meals vegetarian? Are they good? Where are the interns from?”

The policemen were surprised to see that in the library, there were books on all sorts of topics and traditions. They were also amazed to discover that Alain and Evelyne Chevillat were using two different meditation rooms. “My husband and I are not following the same spiritual way,” she told them.

The Domaine de Chardenoux hosts the group Terre du Ciel (Earth of Heaven) which was created in 1990 by Alain and Evelyne Chevillat when they published the first issue of a magazine bearing the same name. Very soon, they organized meetings, seminars, training sessions, trips and in 1991, they had their first summer university.

In the past year, the association had already been submitted to two tax inspections, a visit of the labor inspector and two URSAFF controls. This time, it was obvious that the group was being targeted as a sect/cult.

Such policies are only seen in former communist countries such as Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan or Azerbaijan.

Who was behind that crackdown? Who were the instigators of this military like operation? Almost two weeks after the facts, these questions remain unanswered but no doubt MIVILUDES played a major role in this issue.