An
evangelical Christian pastor from Russia has described how he has fled his
homeland to seek political asylum in Germany because he says he fears being
imprisoned as a terrorist.
Alexey
Kolyasnikov, from Sochi, speaking to DW, said: 'Why Germany? The Protestant Church here
is strong.'
He
added: 'It is very dangerous to return to Russia. There, I will be declared a
terrorist and put behind bars.'
Kolyasnikov
is now living as a refugee in a shelter in Leverkusen in Germany, along with his
wife and three daughters.
He
fled in July this year, three years after he and his congregation of Pentecostal
Christians met as usual for worship in a café and agents from Russia's Federal
Security Service turned up and accused him of holding an authorised religious
gathering. Christian Today.
.jpeg)