In a 4 September 2000 article in Christianity Today, Craig Branch, Director of the Apologetics Resource Center in Alabama, described the Fair Game Policy as follows:

. . . a ‘suppressive’ person who is an enemy of the church ‘may be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. [A suppressive person] may be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.’

According to Craig Branch, the persons targeted include not only former members but also those who oppose the movement (Christianity Today 4 Sept. 2000). He also believes that Scientologists still employ the Fair Game Policy, though they deny it (ibid.). The Church of Scientology apparently cancelled this policy on 21 October 1968 (Scientology 2003a) in a letter from the High Command Office signed by Ron Hubbard, founder of the movement (Apologetics Index 23 Mar. 2001; FairGamed.org n.d.). However, Christianity Today reported that “many court cases have found that Scientologists still operate under Hubbard’s principles of aggression” (4 Sept. 2000). Nevertheless, the Church denied that it ever encouraged its followers to act against other people, saying that “‘[f]air game’ is a term which is often intentionally misinterpreted;” the Church went on to explain that “the term meant that apostate members could not seek protection or refuge under the Church’s internal ethics or justice codes” (Scientology 2003a). Two sources reported that “the California Supreme Court found Scientology guilty of intentional and negligent infliction of severe emotional harm in the 1989 case of Larry Wollersheim” (Christianity Today 4 Sept. 2000; see also Washington Post 10 May 2002). The Church stated that the reason it had gone to court so many times in the past was that it was upholding “the right to freedom of religion . . . [and ensuring that] it[s] rights and the rights of its members [were] safeguarded,” and that “a few unscrupulous individuals . . . [had] abused the legal system in an attempt to line their own pockets” (Scientology 2003b).

During a 5 March 2004 telephone interview, the Director of Info-secte provided the following information about the Fair Game Policy. Despite the public denunciation of the Fair Game Policy, it is still practised in private. The director corroborated the information on the Larry Wollersheim case and said that the group had also been found guilty of espionage in 1992. According to him, Scientologists do not appreciate criticism, no matter how minor it may be, but they generally do not feel threatened by the average detractor. The Church itself stated that members are free to leave without repercussions (Scientology 2003c). The director of Info-secte said that members of the Church of Scientology had participated in a demonstration opposing his organization in Montreal on 4 November 1992 and in another on 30 March 1993, in which Raelians also participated (5 Mar. 2004). These demonstrations would indicate that the Fair Game Policy is not used only in the United States (Info-secte 5 Mar. 2004).

A sociology professor at the University of Alberta corroborated that the Fair Game Policy seems to be practised outside the United States, particularly in Denmark (AP 10 Jan. 2003), the United Kingdom (The Independent 9 Nov. 1997) and Canada (Edmonton Journal 13 June 1998; professor 25 Apr. 2004). The professor shared his point of view on the Fair Game Policy, as well as anecdotes of his own experiences, in the attached document, which was sent to the Research Directorate on 25 April 2004.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Apologetics Index. 23 March 2001. “Scientology’s ‘Fair Game’ Policy.” http://www.apologeticsindex.org/f08.html [Accessed 8 Mar. 2004]

Associated Press (AP). 10 January 2003. “Church of Scientology Fined by Danish Court for Defamation.” http://www.rickross.com/reference/scientology/scien452.html [Accessed 27 Apr. 2004]

Christianity Today. 4 September 2000. Jody Veenker. “Building Scientopolis.” (NEXIS)

Edmonton Journal. 13 June 1998. Charles Russnell. “Church of Scientology Targets U of A Professor for Criticizing Its Practices.” http://www.rickross.com/reference/scientology/Scien41.html [Accessed 27 Apr. 2004]

FairGamed.org. n.d. “The Original: Scientology’s Fair Game Policy Document.” http://www.fairgamed.org/fairgame.htm [Accessed 8 Mar. 2004]

The Independent [London]. 9 November 1997. Chris Blackhurst. “Why Channel 4 is Haunted by Scientology.” http://www.whyaretheydead.net/UK/media/ind091197b.html [Accessed 27 Apr. 2004]

Info-secte, Montreal. 5 March 2004. Telephone interview with the director.

Professor of sociology, University of Alberta. 25 April 2004. Correspondence sent to the Research Directorate.

Scientology. 2003a. “What Does the Term ‘Fair Game’ Refer to?” http://www.scientology.org/en_US/news-media/faq/pg058.html [Accessed 30 Apr. 2004]

_____. 2003b. “Frequently Asked Questions: Press and Litigation.” http://www.scientology.org/en_US/news-media/faq/pg049.html [Accessed 30 Apr. 2004]

_____. 2003c. “Can Scientologists Come and Go as Members of the Church if They Wish?” http://www.scientology.org/en_US/news-media/faq/pg055.html [Accessed 30 Apr. 2004]

Washington Post. 10 May 2002. Richard Leiby. “Ex-Scientologist Collects $8.7 Million in 22-Year-Old Case.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A63143-2002May9¬Found=true [Accessed 16 Apr. 2004]

Attachment

Professor of sociology, University of Alberta. 25 April 2004. Correspondence sent to the Research Directorate, 22 pp.

Additional Sources Consulted

American Family Foundation

Attempts to contact a lawyer from the American Family Foundation and a professor of religious studies at the University of Calgary were unsucessful.

Internet sites, including: Amnesty International, CNN, Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, United States Department of State, World News Connection (WNC).