Information on the Unification Church (UC) in the Czech Republic is scarce among the sources consulted.

The Internet International Unification Church Directory provides phone/fax coordinates for the Czech Republic entry, as well as an email address (UC n.d.).

The Unification Church (UC) requested registration with the Department of Churches in the Ministry of Culture, but its application was denied in January 1999, as the Department reportedly determined that the submitted proof of the number of members it had was fraudulent (ARIRF 1999 9 Sept. 1999, sec. 1; Country Reports 1999 23 Feb. 2000, sec. 2c). The Unification Church contested this decision in court (ARIRF 1999 9 Sept. 1999, sec. 1; ARIRF 2001 26 Oct. 2001, sec. 2). At the end of 2001, the UC suit was still pending in court (ARIRF 26 Oct. 2001, sec. 2; Country Reports 2001 4 Mar. 2002, sec. 2c). The Annual Report on International Religious Freedom (ARIRF) for 2002 reported that in 2002, the courts upheld the government decision to deny the UC registration; however, an appeal launched by the UC was still pending in early October 2002 (7 Oct. 2002, sec. 2).

According to the ARIRF, although the state does not demand official registration, registered religions received state subsidizes in 1999 (ARIRF 1999 9 Sept. 1999, sec. 1) and were eligible for such subsidies in subsequent years as well, although some declined state assistance as a matter of principle (ARIRF 2000 5 Sept. 2000, sec. 1; ARIRF 2001 26 Oct. 2001, sec. 2; ARIRF 2002 7 Oct. 2002, sec. 2). In general, a church requires a minimum of 10,000 adult members living permanently in the Czech Republic in order to register, but any church recognized by the World Council of Churches only needs 500 adult members living permanently in the country (ARIRF 1999 9 Sept. 1999; ARIRF 2001 26 Oct. 2001, sec. 2; Radio Prague 20 Dec. 2001; Country Reports 2002 4 Mar. 2002, sec. 2c).

On 18 December 2001, Parliament overrode President Havel's veto and passed a new law on "Religious Freedom and the Position of Churches and Religious Associations" that created a two-tier system of registered religions (Radio Prague 20 Dec. 2001; ARIRF 2002 7 Oct. 2002, sec. 2). Under the new law, which became effective on 1 January 2002, religious groups could register with as few as 300 adult members; however, this level of registration would give limited tax benefits and would impose annual reporting requirements as well as a ten-year waiting period before the group could apply for full second-tier registration (ibid.; Radio Prague 20 Dec. 2001; USHC 10 Dec. 2001). Full registration would also require 20,000 adult members instead of 10,000 (ibid.; Country Reports 2001 4 Mar. 2002, sec. 2c). Furthermore, only clergy of fully registered religious groups can perform marriages and serve as chaplains in the military and prisons (ARIRF 2002 7 Oct. 2002, sec. 2.).

Unregistered religious groups issue publications "without interference" and are "free to assemble and worship in the manner of their choice" (Country Reports 1997 30 Jan. 1998, sec. 2c; ARIRF 1999 9 Sept. 1999, sec. 1; ARIRF 2000 5 Sept. 2000, sec. 1; Country Reports 2001 4 Mar. 2002, sec. 2c; ARIRF 2002 7 Oct. 2002, sec. 2). However, unregistered religious groups cannot own community property legally, although they can form interest-groups to manage their holdings until they are able to meet the registration criteria (Country Reports 1997 30 Jan. 1998, sec. 2c; ARIRF 2000 5 Sept. 2000, sec. 1; ARIRF 2001 26 Oct. 2001, sec. 2).

There were no reports of religious detainees or prisoners in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 (ARIRF 1999 9 Sept. 1999, sec. 1; ARIRF 2000 5 Sept. 2000, sec. 1; ARIRF 2001 26 Oct. 2001, sec. 2; ARIRF 2002 7 Oct. 2002, sec. 2).

The Annual Report on International Religious Freedom (ARIRF) reported for 1999 to 2002 that government policy and practice generally allowed people to practise their religion freely and that the various religions coexisted amicably (ARIRF 1999 9 Sept. 1999, sec. 1, 3; ARIRF 2000 5 Sept. 2000, sec. 1, 3; ARIRF 2001 26 Oct. 2001, sec. 2-3; ARIRF 2002 7 Oct. 2002, sec. 2-3).

More specific information on the situation of the Unification Church and the treatment of its members and employees could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

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 to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Annual Report on International Religious Freedom (ARIRF) for 2002. 7 October 2002. United States Department of State. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2002/13928.htm [Accessed 28 Oct. 2002]

Annual Report on International Religious Freedom (ARIRF) for 2001. 26 October 2001. United States Department of State. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2001/5622.htm [Accessed 28 Oct. 2002]

Annual Report on International Religious Freedom (ARIRF) for 2000. 5 September 2000. United States Department of State. http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/rf/irf_rpt/irf_czechrep99.html [Accessed 28 Oct. 2002]

Annual Report on International Religious Freedom (ARIRF) for 1999. 9 September 1999. United States Department of State. http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/rf/irf_rpt/1999/irf_czechrep99.html [Accessed 28 Oct. 2002]

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001. 4 March 2002. United States Department of State. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2001/eur/8243.htm [Accessed 17 Oct. 2002]

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1999. 23 February 2000. United States Department of State. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/1999/325.htm [Accessed 29 Oct. 2002]

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1997. 30 January 1998. United States Department of State. http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/1997_hrp_report/czechrep.html [Accessed 29 Oct. 2002]

Radio Prague. 20 December 2001. Pavla Horakova. "Lower House Passes Controversial Church Law." http://www.radio.cz/en/article/11232 [Accessed 29 Oct. 2002]

Unification Church (UC). n.d. "International Unification Church Directory." http://www.unification.net/misc/uc_directory.html [Accessed 28 Oct. 2002]

United States Helsinki Commission (USHC). 10 December 2001. "Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Praises Czech President for Veto of Restrictive Religion Law." http://www.csce.gov/press_csce.cfm?press_id=209 [Accessed 29 Oct. 2002]

Additional Sources Consulted

Human Rights Watch World Report. Annual. December 1997, December 1998, December 1999, December 2000, December 2001.

International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights. Annual Report. 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002.
_____. 26 June 2001.

Religious Intolerance in Selected OSCE Countries in 2000. Report to the Seminar on Freedom of Religion or Belief in the OSCE Region.

Reporters Without Frontiers. 2002.

Annual Report 2002.

United Kingdom. Immigration and Nationality Directorate. April 2002.

Czech Republic Country Assessment.

Electronic databases: IRB.

Internet sources, including:

Central Europe Review

International Coalition for Religious Freedom

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Reporters Without Borders

Search engines, including:

Alltheweb

Google

Yahoo!