Romanian yogis hit by investigation

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Guardian snip

AP in Bucharest
Saturday June 26, 2004
The Guardian

Romanian yoga practitioners launched protests across the country yesterday, accusing authorities of damaging their reputations and violating their rights by launching criminal investigations against members of their group.

Carrying banners which read "Human rights severely violated in Romania," dozens of members of the Movement of Spiritual Integration into the Absolute demonstrated outside the local government office in the city of Timisoara in the west of the country.

"We protest against the deeply undemocratic attitude of authorities toward Misa members and yoga practitioners," said Dan Spatariu, a doctor in Timisoara.

The group accused the government of launching the investigations to distract from pressing domestic troubles. In recent months, authorities have confiscated books, computers and teaching materials, it said.

More:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1247658,00.html