For Immediate Release
June 23, 2000

Highest administrative court in France rules that
Jehovah's Witnesses are a religion

France's highest administrative court, the Council of State, ruled today that Jehovah's Witnesses qualify as a religion under French law. The case involved exempting Jehovah's Witnesses from property taxes levied against their houses of worship.

"France's equivalent of a supreme court has now clearly stated for the first time that Jehovah's Witnesses are a recognized religion that offers no threat to public order," said Jean-Claude Pons, spokesman for Jehovah's Witnesses in France. "We believe this will hinder any future attempts to classify our houses of worship as taxable. It also strengthens the recognition by the government that Jehovah's Witnesses are a legitimate religious group."

In France as in the United States recognition of a religion is given through tax exemptions rather than through a registration process. Jehovah's Witnesses have been present in France for more than 100 years.

The Council of State ruled that the two local associations of Jehovah's Witnesses of the cities of Riom and Clamecy are religious in nature according to the criteria established under French law for religious organizations, which is more restrictive than the legislation for other non-profit organizations. The Council of State determined that the activities of the associations of Jehovah's Witnesses are solely religious and that they do not breach public policy or public order.

Today's ruling also upholds the 921 favorable decisions obtained since 1997 before 25 local administrative courts on the property tax issue for houses of worship as well as the 65 favorable decisions from four appeals courts in 1999 and 2000.

The Administrative Court of Appeal of Lyon had ruled in favor of the two associations of Jehovah's Witnesses in October 6, 1999, and those two decisions were appealed by France's Ministry of Finance. Today's decision denied the Ministry's appeal.

Contact: Judah B. Schroeder, telephone: (718) 560-5600