RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Russia still trying to expel Israeli rabbi

OMSK RABBI TRIES TO CHALLENGE DECISION REVOKING RESIDENCE PERMIT

SOVA Center for News and Analysis, 18 April 2018

 

The directorate of the MVD for Omsk oblast, on the basis of FSB materials, revoked the permit for residence of Omsk Rabbi Osher Krichevsky without making known the reasons for the decision. The rabbi sent to the court a request to reverse this decision.

 

In the middle of April 2018 it became known that on 23 March a regional directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs revoked the residence permit of the chief rabbi of Omsk oblast and Siberia, Osher Krichevsky, in accordance with point 1 of article 9 of the law "On legal status of foreign citizens in the RF." The rabbi received notification about this, without an indication of the reasons for such a decision, by mail.

 

Krichevsky sent to the court a request to require the UMVD to rescind this decision.

 

On 13 April 2018, the Kuibyshev district court of Omsk, on the basis of a petition of the defendants, sent the case to the oblast court, since the case contains a state secret. The reason for the revocation of the residence permit was not made known by the defendant even in the court session. A lawyer for the defendant explained only that the decision was made on the basis of FSB materials.

 

Point 1 of article 9 of the law "On the legal status of foreign citizens in the RF" contains a number of reasons for revoking a residence permit, including the attempt at violent change of the constitutional structure and planning terrorist acts.

 

In February 2018, according to a report of the publication Kommercheskie Vesti, there appeared in a number of news media reports that did not correspond to reality about forgery by Krichevsky of documents in connection with the birth of his seventh child.

 

We recall that in 2014, the directorate of the Federal Migration Service tried to deport Krichevsky from Russia, but the rabbi was successful in challenging this decision. (tr. by PDS, posted 18 April 2018)

 

OSHER KRICHEVSKY: "A LETTER SIMPLY ARRIVED BY POST ABOUT DEPORTING ME FROM RUSSIA

Kommercheskie Vesti, 15 April 2018

 

A judge of the Kuibyshev district court, Olga Kotelnikova, on 13 April granted the petition of defendants in the administrative lawsuit of the chief rabbi of Omsk oblast and the Siberian federal district, Osher Krichevsky, and sent the case to the Omsk district court. Since the materials of the administrative case contain a state secret, it is planned to conduct the session in the oblast court in a closed session, KVnews was told at the district court.

 

On 15 April Osher Krichevsky explained for KVnews that he had simply received a registered letter from Department No. 6 on affairs of migration in the territory of the Central Administrative District of the Russian UMVD for the city of Omsk that gave notice of the decision on 23 March 2018 "revoking the residence permit in accordance with point 1 of article 9 of the federal law of 25 July 20112 No. 115 "On the legal status of foreign citizens in the RF." The reason for such a decision was not reported. He was not summoned to the police or to the FSB.

 

The lawyer explained to Krichevsky that point 1 of article 9 of federal law No. 115 is very serious: "A previously granted residence permit is revoked in the event that the foreign citizen acts for violent change in the foundations of the constitutional structure of the RF, or by other actions creates a threat to the security of the RF or citizens of the RF."

 

On 4 April Osher Krichevsky filed a lawsuit in district court asking to require the UMVD of Russia for Omsk oblast to rescind this decision. To the question why in the lawsuit his name is written Asher, the rabbi explained that this is caused by the peculiarities of writing in Hebrew: "In translation into the Russian language it is correctly Osher. In the notification it was written Asher so that there would be no confusion, and it is also indicated in the lawsuit."

 

In the district court on 13 April the lawyer for the administrative defendant explained that the police made the decision on the basis of material of the Russian FSB and he petitioned for the transfer of the case to the Omsk oblast court because of secret materials. The defendant did not indicate the reason for the deportation of Osher Krichevsky and his large family, who had lived in Omsk for more than 17 years. The judge granted the petition.

 

We recall that on 17 December 2014, a panel of judges of the Omsk provincial court left in force the decision of the court of first instance concerning the granting of the lawsuits of Osher Krichevsky and his wife, Rachel, against the district division No. 1 of the directorate of the Federal Migration Service of Russia. The migration service, using flimsy grounds, also tried to drive the rabbi out of Omsk and Russia. All sessions in the courtroom were attended by silent men in civilian clothes.

 

In February 2015, at the sixth congress of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, Osher Krichevsky was elected to the post of chief rabbi of the Siberian federal district within the council of rabbis of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia and the chief rabbinate of Russia.

 

In early February 2018, there appeared in social networks and a number of Omsk news media negative and (as appeared later) fake news about the rabbi's family. Supposedly Osher Krichevsky forged financial documents connected with the birth of his seventh son. After 17 February the report disappeared. (tr. by PDS, posted 18 April 2018)

 


Background articles:

Jewish leader wins case against Russian government
October 3, 2014
Israeli rabbi appeals Russian deportation order
September 18, 2014
Rabbi appeals expulsion order
September 4, 2014
Local authorities view Jews as revolutionary
February 6, 2017


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