German Evangelical Lutheran with Visa Rejected at Russia Border

A 75-year-old German Evangelical Lutheran bishop, Siegfried Springer has been rejected by the Russian Immigration on 10th April despite the fact that he has an effective multi-entry visa to Russia, according to Forum 18, a Christian persecution watchdog. This is the second reported case where a foreign church minister has been deported from the country. In 2002, five foreign Catholic ministers were expelled and have never been allowed to return to their diocese in Russia.

The story started as Bishop Springer flew from Berlin to Moscow's Domodedovo airport on 10th April but on arrival that evening a border guard cancelled his visa with no explanation, stamping it four times with the word "annulled", told Forum 18. In fact, he has a one-year multi-entry visa and this does not expire until next August. He was held overnight in the airport holding centre and was deported to Germany the following day.

Forum 18 said Bishop Springer is based in Moscow as head of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of European Russia with some 170 congregations, which is also a member church of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Central Asia (ELKRAS), the largest umbrella body for Lutherans in the former Soviet Union. Only about ten of the pastors are German citizens.

Bishop Springer stressed to Forum 18, "I have always regarded Russian policy as good and recognise the improvements since Vladimir Putin became president. As a good Lutheran, I do not criticise the government where I live."

Additionally, Forum 18 reported that throughout Bishop Springer’s thirteen years as bishop, his church has experienced no problems at all with the government.

"On the contrary - we've had support from government officials and in Moscow the city authorities have given millions of roubles to help us rebuild our cathedral," Bishop Springer told Forum 18.

Bishop Siegfried Springer is from a Russian-German family in Mineralniye Vody in Russia's North Caucasus, but left for Germany during the Second World War. He returned to live in Russia in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since his return to Russia he has not applied for Russian citizenship.

Currently, Russian Foreign and Interior Ministries, the German Foreign Ministry and the German embassy in Moscow are involved in investigating the case.

"I want to return to Russia to our general synod to resume my pastoral work as soon as possible," Bishop Springer told Forum 18.

Five foreign Catholic clergy, including a bishop, were denied entry to Russia in 2002 and none of them has since been able to return.

Forum 18 has also reported about another case that ocurred in late 1999. Lutheran pastor Eberhard Behrens, a German citizen, was forced to leave Russia's Volgograd region three months before his visa expired. He even failed to enter Russia with an invitation issued by Bishop Springer because the local authorities insisted that he also required an invitation from his designated parish in the city of Kamyshin, which at that time was not recognised by the government yet.

According to the International Religious Freedom Report 2004 issued by the US Department of State, the Russian Constitution provides for freedom of religion and the Government generally respects this right in practice. However, the Russian Orthodox Church leaders have stated publicly their opposition to the presence of Roman Catholics, Protestants, and newer religions.