One Year Since Controversial French Raids on Romanian Yoga Practitioners
On November 28, 2023, a massive SWAT operation unfolded in France, marking one of the most controversial police raids of the year. At 6 a.m., around 175 officers, clad in black masks, helmets, and bulletproof vests, launched simultaneous raids across eight properties in Paris, its surrounding areas, and Nice. Among the targets were Romanian yoga practitioners, many of whom were engaged in peaceful spiritual retreats. The heavily armed officers, wielding semi-automatic rifles, broke down doors and caused uproar as they searched the premises thoroughly.
Surprisingly, the operation wasn’t directed at terrorists, armed groups, or drug cartels, but rather at eight private locations linked to yoga practitioners. Authorities suspected these sites were being used for illicit activities involving human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and forced confinement. Despite the scale and intensity of the raid, the peaceful yoga community found itself under unprecedented scrutiny.
The Nature of the Yoga Community
The majority of those involved were individuals who had come to France to merge their spiritual practices of yoga and meditation with leisure. These yoga enthusiasts stayed in villas or apartments freely provided by fellow practitioners, many of whom resided in picturesque natural locations. The group included IT experts, engineers, artists, doctors, psychologists, teachers, and university students, reflecting a diverse and professional demographic.
Questions About the Legitimacy of the Raids
While the stated objective of the operation was to arrest criminals and rescue potential victims, the result raised eyebrows. Those interrogated during the raids consistently denied any victimization and refused to file complaints against their hosts. Even a year later, it remains unclear who initiated the investigation and what evidence convinced the authorities to authorize such large-scale raids.
The operation was based on a search warrant framing the yoga practitioners as members of an organized gang involved in “trafficking in human beings,” “abuse of vulnerability,” and “forcible confinement.” This language reportedly shaped the perceptions of police officers, lawyers, and interpreters, who approached the operation as if addressing a major criminal case. About 50 individuals were detained and questioned, with six people arrested and placed in pretrial detention. Among them was Gregorian Bivolaru, the founder of the MISA yoga movement (Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute), who had previously faced allegations of human trafficking and sexual abuse, though no trial has taken place to verify these accusations.
The Arrest of Mihai and Adina Stoian
Several months later, on August 22, 2024, a new twist emerged when Mihai and Adina Stoian, prominent esoteric yoga teachers, were arrested in Georgia while crossing the border from Turkey. Their arrest was based on an Interpol warrant requested by French authorities. Georgian media falsely reported that the couple was also facing charges in Finland and Romania for child prostitution and rape, claims that were later debunked.
The Stoians insisted they were not involved in MISA’s administrative activities, although they had collaborated with several other yoga organizations, including the ATMAN Federation and NATHA. The ATMAN Federation, founded in 2004 in the UK, serves as an umbrella organization for various yoga movements. Though the Stoians were senior teachers within the federation, they maintained that their relationship with MISA was merely indirect.
Following their arrest in Georgia, French authorities extended their investigation to Denmark, where the NATHA Yoga Association was searched. While no arrests were made in Denmark, police confiscated electronic devices during the operation.
Unanswered Questions and Legal Fallout
The language used in the French warrants not only shaped the investigation but also influenced public perception. Many media outlets reported the allegations as established facts, often neglecting to highlight the absence of victims and the suspects’ presumption of innocence. A year after the raids, no court decisions have been made, and questions remain about the legitimacy and proportionality of the operation.
Meanwhile, several Romanian yoga practitioners detained during the 2023 raids have filed complaints against French authorities, alleging misconduct and violations of legal protocols.
Concluding Thoughts
The sweeping raids and subsequent arrests have sparked ongoing debates about justice and due process. The absence of clear evidence, combined with the lack of victims, raises concerns about potential overreach by authorities. Moreover, the case highlights the dangers of prematurely labeling allegations as facts, as well as the importance of safeguarding the presumption of innocence.
As investigations continue, the MISA case remains a complex and controversial chapter in the ongoing dialogue about human rights, legal accountability, and media responsibility.
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Further Reading:
– MISA: Spiritual Explorations and Experiences in the Practice of Esoteric Yoga
(The Journal of CESNUR, November 2024)
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