Germany protests at Russian decision to deny entry to academic

Oct 6, 2011, 13:25 GMT

Berlin - The German government filed an official complaint Thursday after a German academic was refused entry into Russia, despite having a valid visa.

'This is unacceptable,' read a statement from the German Foreign Ministry. 'The federal government has emphatically demanded that the entry ban against Professor (Hans-Henning) Schroeder be lifted immediately and that he be allowed to enter the country with no problem in the future.'

The complaint was handed to a Russian embassy official summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Berlin.

Schroeder returned to Berlin Thursday morning after having spent a night in detention at a Russian airport when he was blocked from entering the country while on his way to a conference.

Schroeder, an East Europe expert with the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said he had been treated well during his detention. He said he had been told he was a security risk, despite having a valid visa.

He said he had already visited Russia four times this year and was sticking to plans to journey there again in November, when he is to meet with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

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