Russia seeks to force out foreign rabbis as security threat’

MOSCOW: For the past three months, Asher Krichevsky, Siberia’s chief rabbi, has been battling to stay in the country after the Russian authorities accused the Israeli citizen of attempting to overthrow the state.

Russia has recently stepped up expulsions of believers and missionaries from Christian denominations that originated abroad such as Mormons, Pentecostal Christians and Jehovah’s Witnesses.

But it is also focusing on foreign rabbis, despite Judaism being legally recognised in the secular state as having historic roots in Russia, along with Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. Thousands of Israelis are currently visiting Russia for World Cup matches, while some 1.5 million Russian-speakers live in Israel.

Krichevsky, 40, is an emissary for the Chabad Hasidic movement, which has an emphasis on outreach activities. He has served as the chief rabbi of the city of Omsk and its region since 2001 and also holds the post of chief rabbi of Siberia. He had his Russian residence permit annulled on the basis that he had “attempted to destroy Russia’s constitutional order”, an official at the Omsk synagogue where he served told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.