France must return almost 4,6 million euros that it took from Jehovah's Witnesses for tax on donations, the European Court of Human Rights has decided.
A year ago, a court in Strasbourg ruled that France violated the religious freedom of members of this Christian sect when it imposed taxes on their donations.
"France must return 4,59 million euros for taxes that should not have been collected, as well as 55.000 euros for court costs," the court said in a statement, as reported by AFP.
"This is a victory for Jehovah's Witnesses, who have been disparaged and stigmatized in France since 1995," said the sect's lawyer Philippe Goni.
The court in Strasbourg, however, rejected the Jehovah's Witnesses' request to pay her 250.000 euros in compensation, one "symbolic" euro for each of the sect's followers in France, as well as the request that the sect no longer be required to pay any taxes.
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