In Kaluga, police tried to disrupt a Lutheran service

On February 28, during the service in the church of St. George of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (Augsburg Confession) of Kaluga, 11 armed policemen with dogs entered and blocked the entrance. They told those present at the temple that "there was a signal that terrorists were gathering here and distributing terrorist literature." After a while, three more policemen arrived.

The priests decided not to interrupt the service. One of the policemen was filming the service. Police officer Natalia Novikova filled out the protocol during the service. Some parishioners were not allowed to attend the service.

Rector of the parish of St. George Pastor Dmitry Martyshenko appealed to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Vladimir Lukin. The text says that the policemen's actions offend "religious feelings and violate the citizen's right to freedom of religion."

A copy of the complaint was sent to the Governor of the Kaluga Region and to the local Public Chamber.

Sources

• Police officers with dogs held a violent action during a service in a Lutheran parish in Kaluga // Slavic Legal Center. 2010. March 12. (With reference to Luther.ru)
• Document. Complaint by Pastor D. Martyshenko to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation regarding the forceful action of police officers during a Lutheran service in Kaluga // There.