Judge Orders Russia To Report on Status of Chabad Library

WASHINGTON, DC — In the case of Chabad-Lubavitch vs. Russia, US District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth today accepted Chabad’s request to deny Russia’s legal counselors release from the case.

In a hearing on Tuesday, the Judge gave the defendants 45 days to find substitute counsel, and 60 days to report on the status of the Archive and Library of Chabad-Lubavitch, which Chabad now fears may have been compromised.

Tuesday’s ruling follows last week’s hearing when Chabad filed a motion for an injunction after learning that 12 pages of the manuscripts that are currently in litigation, were removed from the archives, possibly to be sold on the black market.

“The Judge has basically taken the approach that we proposed, albeit in more limited steps in the hopes of reengaging Russia in the case,” Eliza Lewin of Lewin and Lewin, representing Chabad-Lubavitch, told Lubavitch.com.

Last week, attorneys (Squire and Dempsey) representing the Russian parties asked the Judge to be released from the case, claiming “a breakdown of communications” with their clients.

According to Ms. Lewin, defendants in the case, namely the Russian Federation, the Russian Ministry of Culture and Mass Communication, the Russian State Library and the Russian State Military Archives, have not had contact with their counselors since April.

The Judge instructed them to advise their clients that they risk a default ruling in the case if they do not have legal counsel in the U.S. court.

The Judge also said that if Russia flouts the court’s orders to report on the status of the library, and provide a catalogue of all of its contents as per the court’s instructions, it will grant Chabad permission to send a delegation to Russia to inspect the archives and the library.

Article continued at Lubavitch.com