Russian artist missing in Berlin

Anna Mikhalchuk has been missing since Friday

A Russian artist who caused outrage after a controversial exhibition on the Russian Orthodox Church has gone missing in Berlin where she lives.

Anna Mikhalchuk, 52, left her apartment last Friday. She moved to Berlin with her husband in November 2007.

She went out after telling her husband she planned to run errands, but has not been seen since, German police said.

As a result of her 2003 exhibition in Moscow, Ms Mikhalchuk was tried for inciting religious hatred, but cleared.

She is married to outspoken Kremlin critic Mikhail Ryklin.

"The woman, who is considered reliable, left her home near Lietzen Lake Friday around 1530 (1430 GMT)," the German police statement said.

"Since then there has been no sign of her," it said, adding Ms Mikhalchuk speaks fluent English, but only broken German.